Thursday, August 6, 2020

Melbourne experiments with "local lockdown"

Melbourne stage 4 restrictions and Covid lockdown rules explaine | The Guardian - Joah Taylor:

August 5, 2020 - "The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, has announced tough new stage four coronavirus restrictions.... The stage four restrictions covering metropolitan Melbourne run from Sunday 2 August and will last for six weeks until Sunday 13 September. Additional restrictions on businesses were announced on Monday 3 August, and most of them will start from 12.01 Thursday 6 August. Andrews also said further details will be announced throughout the week.

"You are only allowed to leave your house for four reasons: shopping for food and essential items, care and caregiving, daily exercise and work. Employers must support you to work from home if you can work from home. Unlike stage three, there is now a curfew on Melbourne residents between 8pm and 5am.... You can leave your house if you are at risk of family violence or to apply for an intervention order, and to attend court or a police station. You can also leave your house to access medical services. This time around, that explicitly includes leaving your house to give blood

"Shopping for food and necessary supplies must be within 5km distance from your home, except if the nearest supermarket is further than 5km. Only one person per household can leave to go shopping per day. Exercise must take place within 5km of home, and must be in metropolitan Melbourne. Exercise is limited to one hour, once per day.

"It has been mandatory for people in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell shire to wear face coverings in public.... That rule is extended to the entire state.... People must wear a mask or covering whenever leaving the house.... People with a medical reason are exempt, as are children younger than 12. Those who have a professional reason are also exempt ... but those people will still be expected to carry a face covering at all times 'to wear when you can'. In schools, teachers will not need to wear a face covering while teaching, but students attending classes will. Both teachers and students will need to wear a mask on the way to and from school.

"You cannot have visitors or go to another person’s house unless it is for the purpose of giving or receiving care. You can leave your house to visit a person if you are in an 'intimate personal relationship' with them, even during curfew hours.... Cleaners, tradespeople, gardeners, painters and renovators are not allowed to visit your house for work. Exceptions exist for emergency issues like a burst pipe.... But 'it’s not the time to be painting your house or having unnecessary, non-urgent work happen,' Andrews said on Monday.... The stay-at-home rules apply to your main place of residence so you will not be able to get out of Melbourne and stay in your holiday house....

"Restaurants and cafes will only be able to trade as takeaway and delivery businesses. Supermarkets, grocery stores, bottle shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, banks, and local bakers and butchers will be allowed to trade but subject to density rules.... General retail will be closed.... Stores will still be allowed to operate contactless pick-up, delivery and 'click and collect'. Hardware stores will be open to tradespeople only.... If you need help with shopping, or need to help a friend or family member, you can go shopping together but [must] remain 1.5m apart.

"Pubs, bars and nightclubs will be closed and bottle shops will be takeaway only. Beauty services and hairdressers will be closed. Entertainment and cultural venues such as music venues, museums, indoor and outdoor cinemas, and the casino will be shut. Brothels and strip clubs will also shut. Libraries and community venues can only stay open for essential services, or to host funerals.... Religious services will need to be broadcast online. Weddings will no longer be permitted from Thursday, 6 August, while the limit will be 10 people at funerals (not including those conducting the service)....

"Andrews has said police will monitor traffic seeking to leave metropolitan Melbourne and officers would also enforce the restrictions within the city. Victoria police can issue on-the-spot fines of up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 to businesses. Andrews indicated more penalties were being considered."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/aug/05/victoria-stage-4-restrictions-melbourne-lockdown-rules-covid-19-stage-four-metropolitan-metro-explained-what-you-need-to-know

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