Speaking on Tuesday, ABC medical expert Dr Norman Swan said regional and rural Victoria needed to consider tightening COVID-19 restrictions.
“What we’re seeing now is really good and hopeful, but I think the problem is going to be regional Victoria,” he said on ABC's News Breakfast.
“I think you really need to consider stage four in regional and rural Victoria.
“You might see the paradox where you’ve got almost got zero spread in greater Melbourne while it’s going nuts in regional Victoria and that’s not going to be a good situation.
“The trigger for stage four should be early, and that needs to be under consideration because those numbers will get bigger.”
Campaspe Shire Council chief executive Declan Moore said council was confident the Victorian Government would continue to monitor numbers and respond as needed to reduce the spread of the virus.
“Given there is only one active COVID-19 case in Campaspe Shire it would seem too early a call to suggest we enter stage four restrictions, especially given all of the associated social, economic and employment impacts that such a change would invoke,” he said.
Committee for Echuca-Moama chairperson Geoff Kelly said stage four restrictions would unnecessarily impact areas with low rates of COVID-19.
“I can’t see how that can be justified across all of regional Victoria given it’s not even the case in some of the major centres that are already experiencing fairly large outbreaks, like Geelong and Ballarat,” he said.
“You would have thought if they were going to extend restrictions they’d be looking at those areas most affected first, otherwise it’s just going to inconvenience the areas that don’t have as high a rate of infection.”
State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said regional Victoria was already being punished by being forced into stage three because of what he described as the hotel quarantine fiasco spiking numbers in Melbourne.
Mr Walsh said once again regional and rural communities would lead the way, just as they did with the first wave, but enforcing stage four at this point in time was not necessary.
“Stage four is severe and would snuff out any hopes for small businesses to survive,” he added.
“No-one can point the finger at regional and rural Victoria. We did everything that was asked and we got the right results.”
Campaspe Shire has one active case of COVID-19 and six cases in total.
Stage three restrictions have been in place across Victoria since midnight on Wednesday, August 5.
Mr Kelly said the community was coping as best it could.
“The worry is how long it’s going to go on for,” he said.
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