The head of Victoria's peak business organisation has described the state's roadmap out of coronavirus restrictions as "a road to nowhere", while doctors say the plan will ultimately help the nation recover from the pandemic sooner.
A pedestrian walks along a deserted Burke Street Mall in Melbourne's central business district on 2 September. Photo: AFP
In announcing his government's much-anticipated steps to easing the nation's strictest lockdown, Premier Daniel Andrews revealed Melburnians would face another two weeks of stage 4 restrictions after 13 September, but with some modifications.
Government modelling predicted the state would not be in a position to begin significantly lifting restrictions by 13 September due to the risk of a third wave of coronavirus infections.
The roadmap for metropolitan Melbourne is based on the state recording a daily average of between 30 and 50 new cases by 28 September and fewer than five by late October.
On Monday, Victoria recorded were nine further deaths from Covid-19, and 41 new infections - the lowest number of new coronavirus cases since late June.
Andrews said the government had no choice but to ease restrictions carefully if it was to avoid a deadly third wave.
"We can't run out of lockdown. We have to take steady and safe steps out of lockdown," he said.
Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said at 60 or 100 cases a day, Victoria was "not even close" to being where New South Wales was in managing the spread of the virus.
"If we open up too early we risk another resurgence and undoing the work we have done," Prof Cheng said.
"The worst outcome for everyone is the need to have repeated lockdowns with the uncertainty of never knowing from week to week what we're doing. None of us would be able to plan anything.
"We have come this far now. If we can just hold on a little longer we can get ourselves into a better place where we can open up more and still maintain control."
Andrews said the staged easing of restrictions would all be dependent on health advice at the time.
"We will also use some common sense," he said.
"If your 14-day average is going along well and then you happen to have one contained outbreak on the 13th day, for instance, that threw your numbers out, we would always reserve the right to apply common sense to this.
"Similarly, once we get to that Covid normal, one case or one outbreak would not be enough for us to then reimpose rules."
Businesses frustrated by gradual pace of reopening
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said he acknowledged the state's second wave of coronavirus infections had to be contained, but the plan did not do enough to protect the business community's future.
"We were hoping for a road to recovery. Today we have been delivered a road to nowhere," he said.
"This 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."
Guerra said while there was "a glimmer of light" for regional Victorian businesses, the slow pace of restrictions easing in Melbourne was "not good enough".
He also said the health department appeared to have moved towards an eradication strategy rather than suppression as it sought zero new cases being detected before the state could reach "Covid normal".
"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.
Doctors back extension to Melbourne lockdown
But the plan to extend Melbourne's lockdown by another fortnight was welcomed by Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid, who said it was based on sound medical advice and was "in the best interest of the nation's health and the nation's economy".
"Some business leaders campaigning against isolation measures are ignoring medical evidence that easing restrictions too soon risks a third wave surge in further infections," Dr Khorshid said.
"The fall in daily infections in Victoria proves current restrictions are working. Extending these restrictions best positions the economy for a sustainable long-term recovery."
- ABC