Daniel Andrews cites Donald Trump in call to maintain caution

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has cautioned against easing social-distancing laws too soon, citing the US as a cautionary tale.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Getty Images

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has cautioned against easing social-distancing laws too soon, pointing out that US President Donald Trump talked two weeks ago about ending the shutdown by Easter — in just three days time — and is now presiding over a country gripped by death, where ice rinks are being used as mortuaries and New York’s Central Park as a field hospital.

Mr Andrews’ comments come after his NSW counterpart Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday suggested that her state could lift coronavirus restrictions as soon as May 1.

Despite a significant flattening of new COVID-19 case numbers in Victoria in recent days, Mr Andrews warned that any early relaxation could result in the state’s health system being overrun.

“You see those scenes, whether it’s in London or New York or Milan or all around the world, that if this gets away from us there will never be enough hospital beds, there will never be enough nurses and doctors, and we will sadly have that terrible position, that wickedly difficult position, where doctors have to choose which patient lives and which one dies,” he said.

“Even if you were not inclined to listen to the messages that Victorian authorities are providing to you, turn on your TV. Have a look at what’s going on in New York: ice rinks for mortuaries, field hospitals in Central Park.

“This is very real and we can’t let that happen here, or at least we have to do everything we can to put that off, and hopefully avoid it, and that’s why this fragile position we’re in now, where we have had some stability come to these numbers, we have had clear signs that our strategy is working, we can’t become complacent, we’ve just got to keep all working together.”

As of Wednesday, Victoria had 1212 coronavirus cases, up by just 21 since Tuesday, compared with 2734 in NSW.

Asked for his reaction to Ms Berejiklian’s comments about ­relaxing restrictions on public movement, Mr Andrews said: “I talk to Gladys regularly; all first ministers are working together. I don’t want to necessarily get into a debate about different policy settings. I did see the leader of the US, President Trump, indicate a few weeks ago that … they’d be able to lift a whole lot of restrictions by Easter Sunday. They’re not doing that,” Mr Andrews said.

“In fact, they’ve extended them out for a month at least.

“So I’m not going to sit here and try and crystal-ball for every Victorian what the next stage looks like and try and provide ­definitive timelines, because I think it’s ­absolutely certain that I would be back up here in just a few days or weeks time having to ­revise all of those.

“This is fast-moving. It is ­dynamic. There is some stability in these numbers now, but it’s fragile, and we’ve all given a lot — we have all sacrificed a lot to achieve these numbers.

“Let’s not give back all those gains by having an Easter like it’s an ordinary year, because it’s not.”

A woman in her 80s became Victoria’s 12th coronavirus fatality on Wednesday.