Coronavirus: Last drinks before Victoria shuts up shop

As the lockdown clock ticked towards the midnight deadline, Victorians scrambled to enjoy final restaurant meals, getting on the beers at the local, and even a final night at the tennis.

Catherine Martin arrives at Melbourne Airport only to quickly buy an expensive ticket to Sydney to avoid the looming five-day lockdown. Picture: Aaron Francis

As the lockdown clock ticked towards the midnight deadline, Victorians scrambled to enjoy final restaurant meals, getting on the beers at the local, and even a final night at the tennis.

Premier Daniel Andrews may have thrown the state into a five-day hardline lockdown, but he also gave millions an 11-hour pandemic TGIF (Thanks God It’s Friday) session.

Seemingly at odds with the rhetoric around containing the “high velocity” UK strain, retail, hospitality and even Melbourne Airport were allowed to keep operating throughout the remainder of Friday.

Tennis officials were also grappling with what to do with fans if the third-round blockbuster between Nick Kyrgios and Dominic Thiem dragged past midnight. After hours of crisis talks, the decision was made to eject fans at 11.30pm, generating boos from those already in Melbourne Park.

One Queenslander took advantage of the window to execute a sudden, if somewhat expensive, escape from Victoria.

Catherine Martin, 19, from Cairns landed at Tullamarine shortly after the Premier’s 1pm announcement, for a Valentine’s Day catch-up with her boyfriend.

But walking through the terminal, greeted with the looming lockdown, Ms Martin bought a $500 ticket to Sydney, from where she will make her way back to Cairns.

“I landed 20 minutes ago and as I was walking in, I saw the Premier on the big screen giving his announcement that we’re entering a five-day lockdown. So, great news,” she said.

Along with Ms Martin, there were reports of thousands of others driving up the Hume to escape Victoria before midnight.

Asked about the extended lead in to lockdown, Mr Andrews indicated it was motivated by allowing events already under way to finish. In other words, they were trying to lessen the panic in the community.

“If you chose 9, 9.30 or 8.30, or whatever it might be, or even 6, there will be things that have started that will not have ended,” he said. “I hope people will use common sense and good judgment and perhaps not go out tonight, as they had planned to do.

“That would be a great thing for them, for all of us. But you’ve got to draw a line somewhere, and we think that there will be less activity that’s already begun, and would have to stop halfway through … which causes all manner of confusion and all sorts of logistics issues. This is probably the most seamless.

“Yes, you can go shopping, but go shopping for the things you need, when you need them.”