As Victoria declares state of disaster, what will be the new restrictions?

For the past several weeks, Victoria has become the epicenter of the pandemic brought by the coronavirus or most commonly referred to as COVID19. To date, the total confirmed cases in all of Australia have reached 17,282. 11,557 of this are recorded in Victoria; 4,915 patients have recovered and about 123 deaths. After the spike in confirmed cases, Victoria has declared a state of disaster. So, you might be asking: what now? Here’s everything we know so far. The Australian state of Victoria declared state of disaster, as announced by the Victorian Government. This means that for the next six weeks (until September 13,2020), new restrictions and protocols will be followed. The Premiere announced today (August 2,2020) that the new restrictions will take effect at six o’clock in the evening for personal matters or leisure activities all over Melbourne and regional Victoria. Here are the main restrictions in Melbourne as per the Premiere’s announcement. Along with the announcement, from 6pm, the state will move to Stage 4 restrictions which means that there will be implementation of stronger rules in the state. This will limit the movement of everyone. Starting August 2,2020 there will be a curfew from 8pm to 5am. No one shall be allowed to go out unless it’s work-related, medical care, and caregiving matters. Suspension of Night Network will be implemented; plus, public transportation will be reduced during curfew hours. Here are the main restrictions in regional Victoria. Regional Victoria will return to Stage 3 “Stay at Home” restrictions starting Wednesday, August 5 at 11:59pm. No one shall be allowed to go out unless it’s shopping for essential items such as food and medicine; Care and caregiving, as well as exercise but only within 5 km of their home. Those who will be out due to work and study will be allowed outdoors if cannot be done at home. Businesses all over regional Victoria will also have to go back to Stage 3 restrictions. Cafes and restaurants shall only do deliveries and take-aways. Establishments such as beauty, entertainment, and cultural avenues will be closed down for the next six weeks. When going out, face masks will still be mandatory. Throughout the weekend, there’s much speculation whether the building and construction industry will need to shut down. The Premiere will speak tomorrow regarding the new changes, so we will know by then any additional details regarding this. Majority in the industry has adhered to the guidelines and safety precautions – and should be that way to be able to continue to operate. As a reminder to all members and their teams, MBAV has reiterated to re-read the full industry Guidelines and make sure that everyone in the team understands and adheres to it. For more information, visit the FAQs page on the website. Most of us are may be wondering why Victoria became the epicenter of this virus. Health experts have a couple of reasons in mind. One is because the rules or restrictions have relaxed and people have become complacent especially on social distancing. It’s one thing to recognize where we went wrong but it’s another thing to do something about it. We, as a community should continue to follow protocols to ensure, not just our safety, but our family and our community.