Pepper_von_snoot

Tell us about Melbourne Australia lockdown.

What is it like?

Thin,aristocrat 🍒

Bokhara2

You’re more likely to get responses on Trip Advisor, Thin. Or ask CC on the Lounge.

The Australian travel forum has sadly pretty much wandered off to more fertile fields.

CounterClifton

They're taking it pretty seriously as far as qualifying why people are out. Thanks for asking Thin.

KayF

People have been told to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. That does feel like commonsense to me though in other countries it doesn't seem to be happening, resulting in illness and death. There are only four reasons for anyone to be out of their home in Melbourne and there are steep fines for non-compliance (grocery shopping, medical care, work or study if you can't do it at home and exercise). Restaurants and cafes can only do takeaway. Some businesses have closed. You can't have people over visiting or gather in groups. Annoying for some, hard for everyone but very sensible if we want to beat this bl**dy thing.

As an example of how seriously we are taking it in Australia, a man was supposed to quarantine for 14 days after he crossed the border from Victoria to South Australia. He breached quarantine yesterday and is now in jail.

People are not stuck at home. They are safe at home.

Bokhara2

CounterClifton

The police captain that came on during Dan Andrews daily update this morning said they'd made 1600 stops already. Said they'd tracked down some gatherings that weren't supposed to be happening. There were a couple of ambos (Ambulance drivers) stopped off to get dinner during their shift at a KFC and someone was there buying 20 meals, so they reported the rego (plate number) to the cops. The cops tracked the number down to a townhouse and found a bunch of people hanging out in the backyard. Issued them over $26,000 worth of fines. Expensive chook dinner.

Pepper_von_snoot

What a bloody nightmare. They would never do any of this in the US. Most Americans walk around without a mask. They are FREE. Americans have been brainwashed to think the US is God's gift to the world. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Good luck, Australia.

Thin,aristocrat 🦘

marg

I think we are all getting used to the new normal - sanitising your hands when you go into a shop, wiping the trolley with sanitising wipes in the supermarket, not touching other people - that's a bit difficult sometimes when you just want to give someone a hug. Our local medical centre asks visitors to wait in their car until the doctor rings your mobile phone and asks you to come in. The local library will mail boxes of books, magazines and DVDs to our home - a bit like Christmas when that arrives.
Personally we make a point of walking every day - not only good for our bodies but good for our minds, as we have the opportunity to speak to other people (at a distance) while we are out and about. I miss the chance to have a coffee in a nice cafe and go out for lunch now and then. I'm disappointed with the people who think the rules only apply to other people and not to them. We're all in this together.

CounterClifton

Well said, marg. Especially agree with the last sentence.

I hope during all this we may have learned some better ways to work and shop with less overhead, how better to protect grocery and other workers from illnesses of all sorts and maybe even how to get along with a bit less.

nyse

I may be wrong, but I think this post started life in the Lounge and was moved here.

northie

Now coming into our 4th week of stay at home/lockdown .
All Melbourne and Mitchell shire have wearing masks for 10 days I think. We are all devastated at 723 cases announce for yesterday - highest ever in Australia . . You can hear the emotion in the radio broadcasters voices . The deaths in nursing homes are awful and many have had residents removed to hospitals and defence forces and hospital teams are now working in the homes .
Masks are now compulsory in the whole state and in the Geelong area and along the Great Ocean Road no one is allowed to have visitors to their home - tracing shows it's spreading via families .
No one thinks we will be out of lockdown on August 21.

Bokhara2

Hang in there, Northie. We’re all with you & our Victorian friends & family.

I have some of each in Melbourne & family on the NSW/Vic border. It must be so frustrating & worrying just now.

All the very best.

northie

thanks Bokhara . abeautiful sunny day cheers me after a -.08 this mornng .
missing my family both in Melbourne and in Western Australia.

nelsonian

I so hope you don't have to go into Level 4 lockdown like we had here in NZ, although maybe it may have got rid of the virus if this was done earlier. Not just in Victoria but other States too. It must be so depressing to be stay at home and the numbers are not yet going down.

northie

oh well as you proabaly know we are in stage 4 lockdwon -1 week now. until September 13th I think.
Numbers have been horrific especially the deaths but it seenms that the mask mandate an done week of stage 4 are working . Our R factor is now below 1.
Of course its the lower socioeconomic areas as in all countries that are most affected-th epeople who ar elow paid, dont get sick leave, work in very close contact jobs like abbatoirs.
stay well and safe

northie

now in week 6 of stage 4 . As from Monday we go into stages .Stage 1 we are allowed 2 hours exercise a day and single people may join in a bubble with another person to visit. Curfew wlil start at 9pm..No other changes until September 28th.
stage 2 we will go into that if we have 30-40 cases a day over a fortnight . Childcare open and some students return to school.Public gatherings up to 5 people from 2 households but still no travel beyong 5 kms.l Outdoor pools can open. Religious gatherings outside with 5 people.
stage 3 26 October if 5 or less cases over a fortnight -no curfew, outdoor gatherings 10 , 5 visitors to home, cafes and retail open , 20 people for funerals and weddings
stage 4 23 November if no new cases for a fortnight -numbers increased for socializing, cafes open for dining in and a few new services open.
COVID NORMAL -when there are no new cases for 28 days , no active cases, no concerning outbreaks in othe rstates. No restirctions other than social distancing.

Apparently this is the longest lockdown in the world.. Its hard and there's some controversy about the measures. My view is that as long as we are guided by the data I'd rather do it now than have to start all over again.

Bokhara2

Take care & be of stout good spirit Northie, as a friend always says in tough times.

He’s in Melbourne too - not too far from our lovely CC.

All the best to you & yours - and to those of mine who are in beautiful, glorious, Melbourne.

I saw a video the other day & it brought me to tears. As did the one of my beloved Sydney a couple of weeks ago. It feels as if the hearts of our beautiful cities have shut down and they are on life support.

Memma12

It's starting to get tedious... That said, we're saving a lot of people so it's worth it in the long run.
On the plus side I've spent a lot of time with my daughter I normally wouldn't have!

Melbourne is strong - we'll get to other side of this together and re-open the city better than ever!

northie

Thanks Bokhara. For the first time this morning I cried when I heard that regional Victoria is moving to 2 stages up -its working.
One of my daughter sent me this -
Massachusetts 6.89 million Victoira 6.65 million.
M cases 125,000-` V cases 19,000
M deaths 9,200- V deaths 716
puts it all in perspective .
.