Stage 4 lockdown announced as VIC hits 11,557 COVID cases

Advertisement

Victoria has recorded 671 new cases of COVID-19, versus NSW’s 12:

There were 7 more deaths in Victoria overnight (all elderly, 6 in aged care), 649 active health worker infections, and 1,053 aged care infected. The overwhelming majority of active cases are also of unknown origin.

In light of the ever-growing active cases:

Advertisement

Premier Daniel Andrews declared a state of disaster from 6pm tonight. Also stage 4 restrictions have been announced, namely:

  • Melburnians cannot travel more than 5kms from home, once per day, and only one at a time.
  • 1 hour of exercise only within 5kms of home. No groups bigger than two (regardless of family).
  • No golf, tennis, or the like.
  • Curfew from 8 pm to 5am, beginning tonight.
  • Flexible and remote learning for all schools from Wednesday.

Announcements on work will come tomorrow.

Advertisement

Regional VIC will also move to stage 3 restrictions from midnight Wednesday.

NSW, by contrast, recorded only 12 cases overnight is controlling outbreaks much better:

Advertisement

Victoria now has 6,322 active COVID-19 cases, 95.9% of the nation’s total. By contrast, NSW has 231 active cases, 3.6% of the nation’s total:

Victoria has now recorded 11,557 COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began, more than triple NSW’s 3,784:

Advertisement

Victoria’s case numbers have climbed to 174 per 100,000 residents. This dwarfs NSW’s 46.6 per 100,000:

Advertisement
About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.