Victorian schools, all ‘non-essential activity’ to be shut down

ALL non-essential activity will be shut down across Sunraysia from Tuesday after the State Government introduced tough new measures to try and combat the spread of COVID-19.

In what will be a huge blow to businesses across the region, Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday announced the state would proceed with a shutdown of all non-essential services.

• COVID-19 in Sunraysia: What you need to know
• Full Sunraysia coronavirus coverage
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Schools across the region will close from Tuesday with a decision on whether to re-open to be made on advice from the Victorian chief health officer.

“Victorians will still be able to go to the supermarket, the bank, the pharmacy and other essential stores, like petrol stations and convenience stores,” Mr Andrews said.

“Freight, logistics and home delivery are also considered essential and will remain open.”

It was unclear what, if any, other businesses were considered essential and could remain open.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Sunday announced similar measures would be introduced in the state.

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Member for Mallee Anne Webster said extreme measures were needed to try and slow the spread of COVID-19.

“Clearly these are unprecedented times and not since the war has the government had to step in and impact people’s daily lives in such a way, but I think it emphasises how serious this is and that our community must take it seriously,” she said.

Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said the COVID-19 threat could not be taken lightly.

“The news out of Italy is that it is the worst crisis they have faced since World War 2,” she said.

“We understand how disruptive this is going to be.

“We are Australians, we are used to having a high standard of living where we can pretty much do whatever we want, whenever we want.

“This is going to be painful for all of us but it’s likely to be a lot less painful than the alternative which is the sheer number of deaths that would occur if we didn’t try and curb this.

“We need to weigh any short-term inconvenience against any long-term consequences of failing to act, or failing to do everything that we can.”

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The shutdown comes with the Mallee electorate having three confirmed cases of COVID-19 with one in Gannawarra shire and one in Yarriambiack shire on Sunday added to one in Mildura announced on Saturday.

Sixty-seven new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Victoria on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 296.

Ms Cupper said the confirmed cases showed why people could not be complacent.

“If we had been complacent a week ago, then the confirmation of cases in our region — not just in Mildura, but in those other local government areas — should definitely cause us to drop the complacency,” she said.

Dr Webster said people needed to heed the medical advice.

“Now that we have three confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Mallee electorate, there is an inevitability that it will spread, so we accept that, but it is the rate that it spread and manage that spread,” she said.

“Each one of us needs to be highly alert and vigilant with regard to our hygiene and new social distancing requirements.”

Dr Webster said she had been lobbying Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt for one of the 100 “pop-up” COVID-19 respiratory clinics to be established in Mildura.

“I can say I’ve been fighting hard and doing some pretty hard lobbying,” she said.

“My understanding (announcing where the clinics would be) was meant to happen in the past couple of days so I would think it is imminent.”