Benjamin Millar
Playgrounds have been declared off limits and childcare centres closed to most families under the most drastic tightening of COVID-19 restrictions since Victoria’s second wave last year.
The high rate of transmission in young people and the number of childcare centres now designated as exposure sites has forced the closure of childcare services across Victoria to children other than those who are vulnerable or with at least one parent who is an authorised worker.
All playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment have also been closed across Melbourne and regional Victoria and primary school aged children urged to wear a mask when away from home.
Health minister Martin Foley said the high rate of transmission among young people had forced the state government to take the latest precautionary steps.
“We know having childcare centres closed will be difficult for parents who are already juggling so much, but with so many young children in this outbreak contracting the virus, we need to do more to protect them and their families,” he said.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the age demographic of this outbreak is very different to what we’ve seen before, with around four in five aged below 40 and about one in four under the age of nine.
“This is not where we wanted to be as a community, it’s not a decision we wanted to make after Victorians have sacrificed so much, but we have no other option,” he said.
“Cases need to be lower and vaccination rates need to be higher.
“There’s a million things that we miss about life before the pandemic and a million things we’re looking forward to doing again once we’re through this outbreak – each of those is a reason to get vaccinated.”
