ARE we finally starting to get closer to our “new normal”?
The Victorian Government’s latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions starts from midnight on Sunday.
It means pubs and clubs will be able to host up to 50 seated patrons without the need to have a meal with their drink. All restaurants and cafes will be allowed to seat 50 patrons, provided they stick to the rule of one customer per 4 sq m.
Libraries, community centres and halls, cinemas, galleries and museums will be able to open to up to 50 people, while religious ceremonies will also increase to 50.
Indoor recreational centres like gyms will reopen with up to 20 people allowed per space and 10 people per class, as will indoor and outdoor pools. Non-contact sport can resume, as can training and competition for under-18 contact sport.
In more good news, from July 20 all sporting competitions will be able to return and the Sunraysia Football Netball League has indicated it hopes to get a modified season started from July 25 for senior and junior football grades.
Despite the gradual easing of restrictions over the past month, with these latest announcements it really feels like we have reached the tipping point.
There will no doubt be clusters of the horrible coronavirus in the coming weeks and months, but we are in such a strong position now to quickly control any outbreaks.
The only reason we were able to get to where we are today was a complete buy-in from our community.
From the onset of the pandemic, and especially when it was in the early stages with numbers of cases growing at an alarming rate, it was important to follow all the expert medical advice despite low numbers of cases in regional Victoria.
It was our courage, discipline and self-sacrifice that ensured numbers remained low and we were able to get to a position where we could rightly ask for more restrictions to be lifted.
I’m so proud of the way people in my electorate responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why I have been sharing people’s stories of #MalleeTough in my member’s statement in State Parliament.
Let’s ensure we keep up the good work by maintaining our discipline, including social distancing and personal hygiene, as we slowly get back to our way of life.
Ali Cupper is the Member for Mildura
