Regional Victoria will have to wait for COVID Normal

REGIONAL Victorians have lower levels of coronavirus compared to those living in Melbourne and are enjoying lesser restrictions as a result, but will probably not move to “COVID Normal” independently of Melbourne.
Cities and towns outside of metropolitan Melbourne made the Third Step on the state government’s coronavirus roadmap last week.
Metropolitan Melbourne will not move to the Second Step until at least Monday, September 28.
Case numbers have dropped considerably in regional Victoria, and there have been calls for regional Victoria to move to the Last Step or COVID Normal – both of which are proposed to be done by the state as a whole, based on statewide figures – without having to wait.
Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference, Victoria’s deputy chief health officer Professor Allen Cheng said the state was moving together because some of the 1,173 close contacts to Victorian coronavirus cases were in regional Victoria, and health authorities did not want to risk “seeding” an area with low case numbers.
“There is always the possibility that people move across from metropolitan Melbourne to regional Victoria for all sorts of legitimate reasons; working and so on. So, it is a cautious approach to make sure that we don’t seed regional Victoria.
“And just as an example, Colac – this is a number of weeks ago now – one case resulted in more than 30 secondary cases at that time. Even under those settings.
“So, it’s very important that we make sure that we have a very quick response to anything that happens out there, but there is always the potential that regional Victoria will be seeded.”
Premier Daniel Andrews did not rule out regional Victoria moving to the Last Step or COVID Normal independently but said “getting the whole state to a unified position is important”.
“Of course, not everyone who is asymptomatic gets tested. There will be more cases than we think.
“That is the nature of the virus. Getting everybody on an equal footing is important.
“But at the same time, I think what we have shown in regional Victoria, taking two steps and being at the Third Step – which is a different position to metropolitan Melbourne – we are prepared to have the rules in regional Victoria reflect the way the virus is actually presenting in regional Victoria.
“I’m not making announcements today about that. But we will always be guided by the data. And we will always be guided by the science of it. And what’s actually coming through. And what we think is safe.”