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Will Melbourne, Australia end lockdown 4.0?
Freedom is in sight for the people of Melbourne
Melbourne and Australia’s second populous state of Victoria is on track to end a fourth lockdown this Friday.
The city entered its fourth hard lockdown, following mystery cases discovered with the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Authorities say the outbreak may have been caused by a hotel quarantine breach, with genomic testing revealing that the strain has an ‘identical match’ to a man who entered hotel quarantine a month ago.
Melbourne businesses are now crossing their figures as they await the news of restrictions easing. Many of them have been ordered to close when the city entered lockdown 4.0 almost two weeks ago.
Victoria has recorded today recorded two new local cases of COVID-19 renewing hopes lockdown will end as planned on Thursday at 11.59pm.
The Department of Health confirmed the two cases were linked to current outbreaks.
Testing clinic in Melbourne / Image AFP
Melbourne and regional Victoria were “on track” to ease restrictions later this week, despite the emergence of the Delta cluster, Acting Premier James Merlino revealed during a press conference.
Melbourne businesses are again facing financial stress as the entire state swells through a fourth COVID-19 lockdown, caused by yet another outbreak.
Government support packages criticised by industry leaders
Throughout the fourth lockdown, industry leaders however have slammed the government for not only their response to the developing cluster, but also the “embarrassing” package offered to those having by a thread during this fourth lockdown.
Chrissie Maus, the General Manager of the Chapel Street Precinct has criticised the Governments response, and says businesses are calling the support offered to them “the nothing package”
Maus told Ticker News host Holly Stearnes that many organisations have lost “much more than a couple of grand”. She detailed that in one night alone, restaurants within her hospitality precinct are losing around $40,000, and the amount “goes up” on weekends.
