‘Shadow lockdown’: Dan responds to critics

The state recently reintroduced low-level restrictions in the wake of Omicron, including mask wearing indoors, density limits on hospitality and the banning of indoor dance floors.

The rules have been introduced to curtail the tens of thousands of cases reported each day, as the virus spreads like wildfire in the community.

Victorian Liberal deputy leader David Southwick said the restrictions had placed increased pressure on businesses.

“Despite the Government trumpeting no more lockdowns once vaccine targets were met, isolation requirements, coupled with density limits and further restrictions have left Victoria in a shadow lockdown,” he said.

“The reintroduction of density limits, mask mandates and other restrictions has also meant consumers are most hesitant to shop, keeping vital dollars way from local businesses.

“It’s another slap in the face to business owners that have suffered through two years of harsh restrictions.”

Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday defended the restrictions and current isolation rules, saying it was saving “many thousands” of people from ending up in hospital.

“I know and understand that this is challenging and there is no family that has not been touched by that over the last few years and certainly many touched by that over the last few weeks and months,” he said.

“But if we were to say it is all too hard let’s stop isolating, let’s stop getting tested, let’s stop acting based on symptoms, then we would not have one thousand people in hospital, we would have many, many thousands.

“That would be very challenging not just for Covid patients but for everybody else who needs a hospital bed.”

Around one third of businesses in Melbourne’s Chapel Street precinct have had to shut or reduce hours in recent weeks due to Covid-induced staff shortages.

Of the 2200 businesses on the strip, around 30 per cent have had to temporarily close, shorten their trading hours or their number of trading days.

Business owners at the precinct this week called on the government to bring back support payments for struggling restaurants, bars and retail shops.

“We just need the governments to come together and we need assistance at this time, otherwise all the money that’s been given to them in the past 22 months would have been wasted,” Chapel St Precinct general manager Chrissie Maud said.

“We are waving, we have our hand up and it is code red in the small and medium business sector.

Mr Southwick called for the government to extend the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme for a further three months, to help thousands of small businesses avoid rent increases.

“The only thing different now and previous lockdowns is Daniel Andrews has left small businesses to fend for themselves by not provided the support needed at this crucial time,” he said.

“Daniel Andrews must end this shadow lockdown and stop imposing 2020 style restrictions on family run cafes, retailers, restaurants and businesses and must immediately provide the support needed for their survival.”

The Premier on Thursday said he was listening to struggling sectors and didn’t rule out providing future support.

He said while there were rules and density limits in place for businesses, it was likely the public had changed its behaviour during the current outbreak.

“There are many venues who have given feedback that they are not at 100 per-cent capacity and haven’t been for quite some time,” he said.

“That’s no-one’s fault, it is the nature of this virus and people are making their own choices, to not go out as much as they might have.”

Originally published as Premier responds to criticism Victoria’s Covid restrictions are ‘shadow lockdown’