Victoria’s Roadmap for Reopening
On Sunday 6th September, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews publicized the state’s roadmaps. He declared 3 lists that will apply during stage 4. On Sunday, September 13 will mark the first changes in restrictions. Inhabitants will persist in stage 4 for another two weeks, but with certain small additional freedoms.
He speaks current restrictions with slight changes will remain in place until September 28. Restrictions on public meetings ease 2 persons or a domestic can meet outside for 2 hours maximum. Retail, childcare centres and hairdressing will reopen.
Urban Melbourne:
Restrictions in Melbourne will be raised in five stages at different steps, concluding with a COVID-normal step. The journey from here depends on how people obey the rules. A blackout will stay in place in Melbourne until the end of October.
The first stage begins at 11.59 pm on 13 September 2020 and is a continuance of stage 4 restrictions. It allows more businesses to safely reopen, or increase their services. Amusement and social places will be shut including pubs, bars, clubs, and discos along with professional services, barbershops will remain sealed.
These industries will be ordered to remain closed until late November 2020. They will only be allowed to open with a COVID Safe Plan if no new cases of COVID-19 are logged.
For a complete breakdown of the five steps and industry-specific timelines, download the Victorian Government’s metropolitan Melbourne roadmap to reopening.
Regional Victoria:
For regional Victoria, there are four steps. From 11:59 pm 13 September 2020, certain restrictions will be reduced across Victoria.
This will allow several businesses to open in the zone – firmly operating under a COVID-Safe strategy. They comprise the construction sector, warehouse, and postal services, delivery centers, day-care, and industrial.
Cafeterias, teashops, bars and clubs, and travel operators will remain shutting in stage two.
The roadmap specifies regional Victoria would move to the third stage once the region was recording less than five new cases a day on average and had noted no cases with an anonymous source in the previous fortnight.
For a complete breakdown of the four stages and industry-specific timelines, download the Victorian Government’s regional Victoria roadmap to reopening.
What Commercial Community are saying?
The constant restrictions are a blow to small business in the state, with Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra saying: “This [roadmap] does not deliver for the thousands of businesses that are trying to keep this state going and trying to keep their doors open.”
“We can’t continue to let business and jobs be decimated on the way to controlling the spread of the virus. The virus numbers required to move from one phase to the next is so tight it’s difficult to see how many businesses are going to be able to open up any time soon,” he said.
Australian Hotels Association President, David Canny said lodging house and bars met “going over a cliff” under the extension to Melbourne’s step 4 restrictions in the roadmap.
“Each pub has a limit of just how much debt it can take before decisions are made to close the business for good.”
