A leaked Victorian Government document that prescribes a two-week extension to the state’s Stage 4 COVID lockdowns is making news today.
With Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews set to reveal his pandemic recovery plan for the state on Sunday, the leaked ‘roadmap’ document – details of which were published today by the Herald Sun – has been quickly slammed as ‘out of date’ by government officials.
The document suggested that Stage 4 would be extended for a fortnight and allow those living alone to visit one other household and partake in two hours of exercise instead of one.
It said that after 28 September, Stage 3 would commence, with groups of five people allowed to meet outside, and flagged the gradual reopening of preschools and schools in the state.
Stage two would begin after two weeks of five or fewer cases and stage one would be enacted following two weeks of no new cases.
On Monday, Premier Andrews said was a challenging prospect to predict with “any certainty” where Victoria would be in a week or two weeks time.
“If we pretend we have seen off the second wave and we actually haven’t, if we pretend we have won a victory and we actually haven’t, then that sense of relief, that opening up will not last very long at all,” the Premier told reporters.
“If we open up too quickly, then we will lose control of this,” he said.
“The numbers will explode and all the sacrifice and hard work that I’m so proud of Victorians for making and contributing will have been worth nothing.”
