One can appreciate it was in the best interests of all Victorians to make every attempt to bring transmission under control without resorting to a lockdown. Making these decisions and factoring in costs and benefits is a delicate balancing act. There will always be those who are critical when a lockdown is called, and those who are critical when they feel unnecessary risks are taken. It’s clear authorities are caught between a rock and a hard place in making these calls. It’s believed COVID spread in the Holiday Inn through a nebuliser. So while this is biologically plausible, I think we need to be cautious about accepting it as fact. In short: this hyper-infectious variant is moving at hyper-speed.Īlthough evidence indicates the UK strain is more infectious, it has not generally been reported that the incubation period is any different. So much so, that even secondary close contacts are potentially infectious within that 48-hour window. But the time between exposure, incubation, symptoms and testing positive is rapidly shortening. Right now, we are reaching close contacts well within the 48-hour benchmark. In explaining the need for this lockdown, Andrews took pains to stress the fact we’re dealing with the UK strain of the coronavirus.Īccording to a statement on the Premier’s website: What are nebulisers? And how could they help spread COVID-19? This event, however, appears to have some unique characteristics. I don’t think cases escaping from hotel quarantine necessarily requires a lockdown. We may have a better sense of the appropriateness of this lockdown in a few days’ time - as we see how many more cases pop up - but it’s very difficult to answer this question right now.

Some people may be asking whether a lockdown is necessary, or whether the Victorian government has already waited too long, given Queensland and Western Australia implemented circuit-breaker lockdowns in Brisbane and Perth after only a single case got out of hotel quarantine. The goal is to limit the contact people have with each other, to buy time for the public health team to do its work. Luis Ascui/AAPĪ circuit-breaker lockdown aims to crush transmission before it gains a foothold.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced Victoria will go into lockdown until 11.59pm on February 17.

Will we have another lockdown