Highlights
- Ten postcodes in Melbourne’s hotspots will be locked down from 11.59 pm on July 1
- Locked down areas go back into Stage 3 – ‘Stay at Home Restrictions’
- School holidays, work from home and extra cleaning pose challenges to residents
From additional cleaning to finding ways to keep children busy at home during school holidays, the latest extension of Stage 3 restrictions in these suburbs have made people not only think but also work hard.
"None of us wanted to be here but now that we are, the best thing everyone in these restricted postcodes can do is follow the rules, get tested and help us get this under control,” Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews earlier today.
‘Back to extra sanitisation & staying home’
Prahalika Kalla lives in the northern suburb of Craigieburn, which will go into lockdown from tonight due to a high number of COVID-19 cases in Hume City Council.
An IT engineer, Ms Kalla has been working from home due to the coronavirus restrictions, which has come to mean uncapped log-in hours for many.
“Workdays from home can be longer than what we would normally spend in the office,” Ms Kalla says, adding that this has made her long for a relaxing holiday.
“During the recent relaxation in restrictions, a small but sure possibility of a quick holiday had surfaced. We had planned a four-day getaway somewhere in Victoria in early July before the school holidays ended. But with the suburban lockdown from tonight, that wish will take some more time to be fulfilled,” she says.
Ms Kalla says that now it’s back to extra sanitisation, book-reading for her son and board games amongst the family as socialising stands suspended.
Prahalika Kalla enjoying a bike ride with her son Source: Supplied
“Our son happily spent the last few weeks riding his new bike and playing with his friends in the park nearby. People like us had started socialising within limits of 10. All of that will stop from tonight. But this is in everyone’s interest,” Ms Kalla observes.
‘The new normal’
While many Melburnians began pouring out on the streets and shopping centres after relaxed conditions last month, some were still reluctant to celebrate too early.
Dilsher Singh*, who works in data analytics, is a resident of the inner suburb of Brunswick, another high-risk area identified by the state government. Since March, his 11-year-old son’s book nook has become his office.
Life has become a “rigmarole of regular deep cleaning” for him and his family since the coronavirus restrictions came into force.
“I can count on my fingers the days that we went out of the house since March 19. It was either to buy groceries or to attend an urgent medical appointment. Tonight’s lockdown will not change anything for us because we have imposed a very strict discipline on ourselves since it all began,” Ms Singh says.
“Only one of us leaves the house at a time wearing gloves and a face mask. The moment we get home, we take off our clothes in the garage and head straight for a shower. Our clothes, including my turbans, are immediately washed,” says Mr Singh.
His expense on sanitisation products has increased significantly as “jackets, shoes, shopping bags and packaged items are liberally sprayed with sanitiser while fresh produce is dipped in warm brine”.
“We are a group friends who live nearby and shop for each other’s groceries in turn. The bags are dropped off at the door and money is transferred to the buyer’s bank account. We haven’t seen each other in the last three months,” he adds.
The list of restricted areas can be found here: https://www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-restrictions-victoria#update-on-restrictions-for-certain-postcodes-from-1159pm-on-wednesday-1-july-2020
‘This had to happen’
Sonia, a finance consultant, lives in the western suburb of St Albans which will have restricted activity from midnight. But she is happy that “disobedient people will learn a lesson the hard way”.
“Until last month, people just wouldn’t listen to advice on social distancing. I have no hesitation in saying that there are many selfish people around us, who only consider their outing and shopping as priority,” she comments.
She expresses her surprise at the government’s permission to let people in restricted postcodes to step out of the house for exercise.
“How can the government presume that people won’t touch something or spit or sneeze during a walk in the park? And then they complain of community transmission,” questions Sonia who is planning to get tested soon.
The Victorian government has urged over 300,000 residents living in the 10 restricted postcodes to get tested for coronavirus this week. New sites are being setup to prevent the further spread of the virus throughout the community.
Sonia says she is prepared for the restrictions being enforced tonight Source: Supplied
It is hoped that in less than a week, teams would have knocked at 54,000 doors in high-risk areas offering advice, testing information and in some cases, self-administered testing kits, which can be collected at a later date. More than 113,000 tests have been conducted so far.
Fixed, mobile and drive-through testing clinics are working across COVID-19 hotspots in Melbourne. 22 sites are already functional and more are being added every day.
Help has also been sought from the governments of South Australia, Queensland and the Commonwealth public service to lend a hand with door knocking in the hotspot zones as well.
Calling the coronavirus crisis in Melbourne a “public health bushfire” Premier Andrews likened the deployment of healthcare professionals from other states to “sending firefighters to help neighbours through summer”.
The 10 restricted postcodes will be required to return to ‘Stage 3 Stay at Home’ restrictions from 11.59pm tonight until at least July 29. There will again only be four reasons to step out of the house: shopping for food and supplies, care and caregiving, exercise, and study or work – if it can’t be done from home.
*Name changed on request for anonymity.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Find out what restrictions are in place for your state or territory.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at http://www.sbs.com.au/coronavirus
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