While New Zealand's Health Minister is warning disinformation is threatening to block the path to New Zealand returning to alert level one, Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews has toughened stage 4 coronavirus restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne.
An overnight curfew has been introduced and mask-wearing remains compulsory.
A courier collects swabs taken at a drive-through testing clinic in Melbourne Photo: AFP
Melbourne-based New Zealander Craig Cherry told Karyn Hay the world's longest-running level 4 lockdown that began on August 2 may last right up until the end of October and that small things, like not being able to get a haircut, were adding to the demoralisation.
He said that politically, state and country were becoming divided over the best way forward.
“It’s getting to the stage that, even for us, you feel like you’re getting stuck. It’s confusing because of a lot of mixed messages. Where we had a pretty united view before, now we’re getting bickering from federal and state government.”
People are expected by law to remain with a 5km radius of their homes and a curfew is scheduled to begin from 9pm instead of 8pm from next week.
“Really, everything we couldn’t do before we can’t do now. You are allowed out for 2 hours exercise now and not just one, but that’s about the only real change. We’re just listening every day and hoping the cases keep coming down.”
The CBD and roads are deserted. Anti-lockdown protests are increasing in numbers, according to Cherry.
And with around 50 new cases a day, still not enough of a drop to justify dropping down levels of lockdown.
He says community cases are still emerging because the illness simply got away from authorities and stamping out infections is made significantly difficult when it is allowed to do so, even with robust contact tracing procedures and lockdown measures now in place.
Going through a second, prolonged lockdown was disheartening, especially because of the false hope that the first set of restrictions had brought.
“Everyone was like ‘yeah, we can do six weeks, we can do this. And then to see this go further…I’d hate to be the government, I’m not anti-government, it’s just getting really tough now.”
Conspiracy theorists are adding to the frustration in Melbourne too.
“Some of the beliefs are incredible, to think it’s factually accurate. We had a whole lot of people getting arrested last week during protests… and apparently there’s going to be another one this weekend. My prediction is these will increase as people find it tougher to do this.”
He says people want to get back to work and lack of clarity and support from the government on how they can be financially supported through this period has increased anxiety and had understandably angered people.
“Some people have had no income since February and you think, ‘how do they survive’? I feel really privileged that I’ve been able to keep earning, keep working, but come on, you've got to look after people.”
The Job Keeper Scheme gives business owners AU$1500 per fortnight if they employ full or part-time staff and have lost over 30 percent revenue from the Covid restrictions.
“That is decreasing from the end of this month, down to $1200 per fortnight… From January it will go down to $1000 per fortnight,” he says.
The same scheme is applied country-wide and no special scheme has been approved for Victoria.
People are making the most of current provisions and making the most of circumstances but he hopes it couldn’t be long before a degree of normality returns.
