Skip to main content

Australia's COVID-19 epicenter extends hard lockdown till late September

By Unknown

Australia's coronavirus hot spot state of Victoria on Sunday extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne until Sept. 28, as the infection rate has declined more slowly than hoped.

"We cannot open up at this time. If we were to we would lose control very quickly," State Premier Daniel Andrews told a televised media conference on Sunday.

The hard lockdown was ordered on Aug. 2 in response to a second wave of infections, that erupted in Melbourne.

Australia's second most populous state has been the epicenter of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, now accounting for about 75% of the country's 26,282 cases and 90% of its 753 deaths.

Victoria on Sunday reported 63 new COVID-19 infections and five deaths, down from a peak of 725 new cases on Aug. 5. By contrast, Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, has had no more than 13 cases a day since early August.

Melbourne's stage 4 restrictions, which had been due to end on Sept. 13, shut most of the economy, limited people's movements to a tight zone around their homes for one hour a day and imposed a night time curfew.

From Sept. 14, the rules won't be quite as tough, as the curfew will begin an hour later at 9 p.m, and people can go outdoors for two hours instead of one, while those living alone will be allowed to have a visitor.

If the infection rate subsides as hoped by the end of September, Andrews said restrictions would be relaxed gradually over the subsequent two months, though some businesses would have to remain shut through late November.

Andrews said modelling showed cases would continue to average around 60 a day by next weekend, and if the state opened up too quickly it would be on track for a third wave by mid-November.

"You've got to defeat the second wave and do it properly. Otherwise you just begin a third wave. A third wave will mean we can't do the economic repair that people desperately want us to do," Andrews said.

The federal government has blamed the lockdown in Victoria for dragging Australia deeper into its first recession in nearly 30 years, while other states have largely reopened their economies.

"Today's announcement from the Victorian government to extend lockdown arrangements will be hard and crushing news for the people of Victoria and a further reminder of the impact and costs that result from not being able to contain outbreaks of COVID-19," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.

The pandemic has resulted in the loss of around 500,000 jobs in Victoria, including 250,000 under the stage 4 restrictions.

Business groups were disappointed with the slow reopening outlined by Andrews.

"We can't continue to let business and jobs be decimated on the way to controlling the spread of the virus," Victoria Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra told reporters.

After Sept. 28, if daily infection rates have dropped to between 30 and 50 for 14 days, child care, construction sites, manufacturing plants, and warehouses, will go back to normal, allowing 101,000 workers to return to their jobs.

Schools will also partially reopen and outdoor gatherings of up to five people would be allowed.

After Oct. 26, if daily cases have dropped below five, cafes and restaurants could reopen, mostly for outdoor service, and shops and hairdressers would reopen.

At the same time, the curfew would be lifted, with no limits on leaving home, outdoor gatherings could increase to 10 and homes would be able to have five visitors.

After Nov. 23, cafes, bars and restaurants could have more people indoors, schools could reopen more fully, museums and other entertainment venues could reopen, and larger gatherings would be allowed.

Restrictions in regional Victoria will ease from Sept. 14.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Increased risks of drop out for women and girls : CoronaVirus Updates

By Unknown
The total number of children not returning to their education after the school closures is likely to be significant. The pandemic also risks jeopardizing some of the gains made since 2001 in re-building women and girls’ education following the Taliban regime.  The COVID-19 pandemic is creating additional barriers due to risks—and students’ and parents’ anxiety about risks—associated with children returning to classrooms that are cramped, with no capacity for distancing, often cold, damp and poorly ventilated during the country’s severe winters, and have no or poor hygiene and clean water facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to drive many women and girls out of education permanently. School closures due to COVID-19, resulting increases in caregiving responsibilities for women and girls, and increases in poverty and unemployment will all make it harder for women and girls to study.  These factors combine in harmful ways with pre-existing discriminatory gender norms, o...
Post a Comment
Read more

No significant benefit of Umifenovir in COVID-19 treatment: Glenmark

By Unknown
Drug firm  Glenmark Pharmaceuticals  on Friday said the addition of  antiviral Umifenovir  did not demonstrate any significant clinical benefit over  Favipiravir  alone in  moderate COVID-19 patients .  The  clinical study  evaluated the possible superiority of the combination's efficacy against Favipiravir monotherapy, Glenmark said in a statement. As per the results that Glenmark presented to the regulator, the study showed no superior clinical outcomes with the addition of Umifenovir, it added. This was the second clinical study after the successful Favipiravir monotherapy trial earlier this year that led the company to receiving the Emergency Use Authorisation for Favipiravir, Glenmark said. "These latest findings confirm that the addition of Umifenovir does not show any incremental benefit in clinical outcomes. Thus Favipiravir therapy along with supportive care remains a suitable and effective choice for mild to moderate COVID-1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Context & pre-existing barriers to education for girls and women

By Unknown
Education is a right for all children and an educated population is essential for building a self-reliant, peaceful, equal, and inclusive Afghan society. Afghanistan’s education system has been severely impacted by decades of conflict, widespread poverty and humanitarian crisis.  Today, funding remains insufficient, as only 3% of Afghanistan’s Gross Domestic Product is allocated to education. International standards state that the government should spend at least 4 to 6% of GDP on education.  The Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 recognizes that to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, least developed countries need to dedicate at least or more than 4 to 6%.  Afghanistan budgets far less than this, and even with this small percentage of funding the country’s education budget continues to be underspent every year.Afghanistan has one of the y...
Post a Comment
Read more