Australia’s Virus Hotspot State Warns Against Reopening Too Soon
Australia’s Virus Hotspot State Warns Against Reopening Too Soon
(Bloomberg) --
The state at the center of Australia’s coronavirus outbreak warned against easing lockdown measures too quickly, saying a premature lifting of restrictions could see an explosion in Covid-19 cases.
Across Victoria, people have been ordered to stay at home except for essential work, medical care, provisions, or exercise to contain a resurgence of Covid-19. The state capital, Melbourne, is under even tighter restrictions, with a nighttime curfew and large parts of its retail and manufacturing sectors shuttered.
Premier Daniel Andrews, who is due to announce a roadmap for reopening the state on Sept. 6, told reporters that while the restrictions were tough, moving too fast would see the state lose its hard won gains. The state reported 113 new virus cases in the past 24 hours, down from a peak of 687 on Aug. 4.
“If we open too fast, if we open too much too soon,” virus numbers will explode, he said. Andrews dismissed a report in the Herald Sun newspaper that the restrictions in Melbourne would be extended for two weeks with limited tweaks, and said the report was based on out of date documents.
The newspaper said there was no clear timeline for many businesses to reopen, and that people would be allowed two hours of exercise a day instead of one.
The Victoria lockdown is hurting the Australian economy, which is gripped by its first recession in almost 30 years. Victoria contributes about one-quarter of gross domestic product, but is now isolated from the rest of the country as other states shutter their borders against the spike in community transmission.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is pressing for the states to agree on a definition of Covid-19 “hot spots” -- to enable borders to reopen but allow more targeted controls on inter-state travel.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.