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NationalCoronavirus pandemic

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As it happened: Melbourne, regional Victoria lockdown restrictions to be eased for retail, hospitality sectors as state records zero COVID-19 cases for first time in more than three months

Craig Butt, Hanna Mills Turbet and Ashleigh McMillan
Updated ,first published

Summary

  • Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced that Melbourne retailers and hospitality venues will be able to reopen on Wednesday, and has outlined how further restrictions will be eased on November 8. 
  • One locally-acquired COVID-19 case and three cases among overseas travellers in hotel quarantine have been confirmed in New South Wales. Queensland has recorded no new cases today. 
  • It has been confirmed that the coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne's northern suburbs that stalled Victoria's reopening was sparked by a hospital worker who contracted the virus from a patient in Box Hill Hospital's COVID-19 ward.
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a new state of emergency in an effort to curb the country's soaring coronavirus infections. The new measures impose a nighttime curfew and limit the number of people allowed to meet to six.
  • The White House's chief of staff has conceded the United States is “not going to control the pandemic”, while five staffers working for US Vice-President Mike Pence – including his chief of staff – have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Pinned post from 3.04pm on Oct 26, 2020
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Watch: Victoria's daily coronavirus update with Premier Daniel Andrews

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Victoria's daily coronavirus press conference with Premier Daniel Andrews began at 3.15pm.

The press conference has concluded. You can watch the replay below:

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Mr Andrews announced a major easing of restrictions after hundreds of test results showed health authorities had control of a recent outbreak in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

Today Victoria recorded no new coronavirus cases for the first time since June 9, and has also gone seven straight days without any new deaths from the virus.

Pinned post from 2.38pm on Oct 26, 2020
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Victoria's daily coronavirus update will be at 3.15pm.

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It has been confirmed that Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews and Health Minister Martin Foley will be giving the state's daily coronavirus update at 3.15pm.

We will be running a live feed of the press conference, and I will post the video in the blog closer to the time.

Victoria recorded no new cases today for the first time since June 9, and no new deaths from the virus for the seventh day in a row.

At yesterday's update, Premier Daniel Andrews said any announcement on Melbourne's reopening would be paused for 24-48 hours while test results from the city's northern suburbs, where an outbreak of 39 cases has emerged in recent days, were processed.

More than 3000 tests that have been processed from the region since yesterday's press conference have all come back negative, and we reported earlier in today's blog that Mr Andrews is waiting on the results of the final 500-700 before conducting his daily address.

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Signing off for the evening

By Ashleigh McMillan

That is all we have for you this evening after a big day for Victorians with the announcement of eased restrictions.

Before I head off for the evening, here's a look back at the day's major developments.

It's over! Melbourne's long lockdown to end on Tuesday night after zero new cases

NSW had one new locally-acquired COVID-19 case and three among overseas travellers in hotel quarantine. Western Australia reported two new cases of COVID-19 in returned travellers.

Queensland recorded zero cases on Monday.

Australian politicians react to Victoria's new rules

By Ashleigh McMillan

Australian politicians have weighed in on Melbourne's major announcements today around the reopening of retail, hospitality and beauty services.

Australian Greens leader and Melbourne MP Adam Bandt told Melburnians it was time to "enjoy those beers".

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"Thanks for everything you have done, Melbourne & Victoria. Not just to keep yourself & loved ones safe, but also for caring for people you'll never even meet," he said on Twitter on Monday.

"This spirit of care is what makes society good. Enjoy the beers & coffees, and friends, family & neighbours too."

Dan Andrews' North Face jacket Victoria's north star out of lockdown

By Melissa Singer

Dan Andrews has made answering every question a hallmark of his daily coronavirus press conferences but on Monday, he said all he needed to say before he had uttered a word.

By early afternoon, there was already a strong sense the news was going to be good, and Melbourne would finally take its biggest steps to date out of lockdown. And as soon as the Victorian Premier appeared on stage wearing his trademark North Face jacket, we knew it was.

Premier Daniel Andrews in his North Face jacket on Monday. Paul Jeffers

No other item of clothing or symbol, perhaps with the exception of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton's salt-and-pepper five-o'-clock shadow, has attracted as much commentary as Andrews' black zip-up jacket by the US adventure brand more commonly associated with weekend bushwalkers or dads at soccer training (the jacket even spawned its own Facebook group).

Throughout lockdown, as Melbourne rode the wave of emotions that came from building our small existences around the timing of a government press conference, Andrews' choice of attire became our north star, our canary in the COVID-19 coal mine. North face: good. Suit jacket: bad.

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Budget airlines and COVID-19: It's time for cheap air fares to die

By Tim Richards

During the course of this pandemic I've concluded there are two types of people: those who love flying, aircraft and everything to do with aviation, and those who see it as a necessary evil to be endured on the way to somewhere good.

Since travel shut down around March, I've been gobsmacked to see people pay good money to either take a joy flight to nowhere, or – even worse – to dine on a plane that's not leaving the tarmac.

Passengers wait to board a budget airline last year. AP

When I expressed this amazement on social media, many agreed that flying was the absolute worst part of travel, and the one good thing about COVID-19 lockdown was not having to go near an airport.

There are many aspects of flying to dislike: the security checks, the endless pulling out of passports and other documents, the rush to make connections, the disappointing food, the kids sitting near you with iPads but no headphones.

Who are you going to see when Melbourne's new home visit rules come in?

By Ashleigh McMillan

Premier Daniel Andrews said he'd reveal details about home visits for Melburnians tomorrow.

We don't yet know how many people you will be able to have over from 11.59pm Tuesday, but assuming case numbers stay low, we'll once again have friends, family and loved ones in our homes.

We're keen to hear from you. Who will you be visiting from Wednesday? How are you feeling about it?

Personally, I'm most excited to visit my parents and siblings in regional Victoria once the 'ring of steel' is removed on November 8. Really can't wait to cuddle my five-month-old nephew Alex, who I've met just twice since he was born.

'Really excited': Retailers rush to prepare for Melbourne's reopening

By Dominic Powell

Melbourne retailers have welcomed the Premier's announcement of eased restrictions from Wednesday, with many already calling staff into stores to prepare for their long-awaited reopening.

On Monday afternoon Daniel Andrews said stores would be able to open with COVID-safe measures in place from 11.59pm on Tuesday, after Victoria recorded its first day with no COVID-19 cases and deaths since June 9.

Brand Collective CEO Caleb Brown outside the Chadstone shopping centre Superdry store. Penny Stephens

The news was immediately welcomed by merchants.

Caleb Brown, the chief executive of retailing group Brand Collective, said he would open some stores an hour early on Wednesday to help customers with online returns. Brand Collective operates stores including Volley, Shoes and Sox, Superdry and Clarks.

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Zero cases a 'vindication' of the strategy: Duckett

By Liam Mannix

Dr Stephen Duckett, health program director at the Grattan Institute, said the fact Victoria recorded zero cases on Monday was a vindication of the government’s heavily-criticised strategy.

"A lot of people said zero is an impossible goal. And they called on the government to relax restrictions before it was safe to do so, because they were so short-sighted and they did not care about the long-term, and the risk of a third wave," he said.

"With zero cases, it is now safe to open up."

Dr Duckett also said Victorians could have high confidence in contact tracing, which had improved significantly even from last month.

Victoria’s epidemic peaked in August, and has been on the decline since then. Other countries that were recording similar numbers at the same time - like Sweden - are still recording many hundreds of cases a day.

"We were in a disastrous situation back in June. The contact tracing system was overwhelmed. We were just not in control," Dr Duckett said.

"What is startling is we’re now in what passes for summer in Victoria with zero cases. Britain has 19,790 new cases today. We have gone down, and they have gone up."

How Victoria's leaders are celebrating 'Donut Day'

By Ashleigh McMillan

With Donut Day trending on Twitter earlier today - thanks to Victoria's zero new COVID-19 cases and zero deaths on Monday - donut shops have been plundered city-wide.

Both Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton have shared pictures of the sweet treats they'll be indulging in this evening.

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Despite all the focus on donuts today, the Premier didn't forgo his promise to get on something stronger than a beer.

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Immediate bounce on the way for Victoria's economy, predicts industry leader

By Clay Lucas

Tim Piper is the Victorian head of the Australian Industry Group, a group representing businesses in manufacturing, engineering, construction and other sectors.

He said Monday was "an absolutely vital day for the Victorian economy and an historic day for Victoria because it affects so many people".

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He predicted the state’s economy would have an immediate bounce, created by pent-up demand.

"Everybody wants to spend money right now," he said. "Our concern is what will happen when that bounce slows down, and when JobKeeper ends in March."

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Tourism sector rejoices at Melbourne opening up

By Clay Lucas and Benjamin Preiss

The ring of steel keeping Melburnians from regional Victoria will come down in two weeks, bringing relief to tourism businesses that can now plan for a busy summer to recoup months of losses.

Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement on Monday that Melburnians would be allowed to travel within Victoria from November 9 has already sparked a rush for accommodation.

Dean Long is chief executive of the Accommodation Association. He said when hotels opened on November 8 it would effectively be only the 11th week of trading that many Victorian tourism operators had been able to complete this year, once the summer bushfires and COVID were taken into account.

But he said it was fantastic that so many people employed in hotels and accommodation could now get back to work. "It means we can do what every other Australian has been doing for the last four months - get out and have a holiday outside the city."

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