Dan Andrews COVID Press Conference Transcript August 5: 7-Day Lockdown

Dan Andrews: (00:00) ... guys all right to go? Thanks for joining us for what is a very difficult announcement. None of us want to be in a situation where we have to lockdown again, but this Delta variant moves so fast that with even a handful of positive cases that can't be linked and that haven't been in isolation throughout their infectious period, there is no alternative for us but to listen to our public health experts, take their advice, and make the decision, the very difficult decision that my colleagues and I have just made on advice, and that is that Victoria will have to lockdown again for seven days from 8:00 PM tonight. Five reasons to leave home, school closed, all the same reasons, all the same rules that we are well-accustomed to that we have used to our collective benefit, that we've used to crush outbreaks a number of times, even Delta outbreaks. Dan Andrews: (00:55) But the fact of the matter is we have eight cases, six reported this morning and two further cases on the board, that would normally be reported tomorrow, and only three of those can be linked to a known outbreak. The rest we have to assume are what they appear to be, mystery cases where we don't know how they got it. We don't know who they've given it to or how many people they've given it to. Now, nothing I say today is meant as a criticism of anyone else across our country, but context is very important. I want to make it very clear: we only get one chance to act fast. We only get one chance to make difficult decisions that are the right decisions. I'd much prefer to wait two or three days. I'd much prefer that we didn't have to make this decision now. Dan Andrews: (01:41) But my fear is that if we were to wait a few days, and the advice to me from the experts is that if we were to wait even just a few days, there's every chance that instead of being locked down for a week, this gets away from us, and we are potentially locked down until we all get vaccinated. And that's months away. Others are living that at the moment. Others are having to deal with that at the moment. We wish them well and we're supporting them, but we do not want that here. I am determined to do everything popular or otherwise to avoid that happening to us. We've been through that long, long, lockdown. We did that last year. We don't want to go back to that, and that's why these decisions are absolutely critical, and it's why we've made them as tough as they are. It's why we have made these decisions, and it's why I'm announcing them now. Dan Andrews: (02:33) And you might ask, "Why not midnight tonight? Why is it effectively a snap lockdown?" Well, the Ms Frankie's outbreak, cases... There was transmission on the night of the lockdown last time. So the safe thing is go home. Go home and begin that lockdown. Don't be out and about, because all you might be doing is spreading this virus. Now, we'll go to questions in a moment, but you've got a document there that takes you through all of the rules. They are essentially the rules that applied last time. They're well-understood. They have been very successful. They're painful, they're difficult. We wish it wasn't this way. I can't tell you how disappointed I am to have to be here doing this again, but with so few in the community with one vaccination, let alone two, I literally have no choice but to accept advice, and we collectively, to make this important decision to keep Victorians safe. Dan Andrews: (03:31) The alternative is we let this run. It gets away from us, and our hospitals will be absolutely overwhelmed. Not hundreds of patients, but thousands. And not just COVID patients missing out on care and not just COVID patients dying, but of course people who need intensive care, who need critical care, urgent care in our hospital system. And an overrun hospital system will mean stroke patients, cancer patients, people who've been in motor vehicle accidents, premature babies, all of those who need that care, well, they'll be compromised as well. We just can't allow that to happen. If anyone watching this doesn't think this is relevant to them, well, I would make the point that we've all got relatives. We've all got family. We've all got people who are vulnerable for one reason or another. But then I would also make the tragic point... Dan Andrews: (04:29) A person in their 20s, a bloke in his 20s died yesterday in Sydney. This is relevant to everybody. Nobody wants to get this. Nobody can afford to ignore this. No government can refuse to accept advice and act to do what's right, and that's what I'm doing today. That's what our government is doing today, as painful and as difficult as it is. Now, we can't change what's happened in the last few days. We'd much rather not have these cases. And again, I'm not here to run a commentary on any individuals, but every day and every case, every outbreak, serves as a set of important reminders. Dan Andrews: (05:12) So with respect and nothing else, just with respect but a sense of urgency, can I plead with every single Victorian? If you have symptoms, then with so little cold and flu around, if you've got symptoms, you've got COVID. That's what you have to assume, and that means you've got to go and get tested. Don't wait an hour. Don't wait an afternoon. Certainly don't wait days, and go to work in the intervening period. You can't do that. That's no good for you. It's no good for the people you love. It's no good for the rest of Victoria. It's in fact very bad. Please go and get tested as soon as you register symptoms. Please follow the rules. We'd all love to be visiting family and friends. Some people have been visiting family and friends, and all it does is it spreads the virus. Dan Andrews: (06:06) Not any group, not any part of Melbourne, not any particular community. I think there are many people who are perhaps not doing as they should. We're all tempted to do that, but we just have to find it within ourselves to do the right thing. So I would plead with all Victorians, please don't be going and visiting family and friends, because you might well be contributing to the spread of this virus, and that won't be good for your family and friends. It won't be good for any of us. The rules are there to keep us open. And if we follow the rules and we keep working hard as a community, and our contact traces keep working hard as they are, not just meeting but exceeding all the national benchmarks, then we will bring this under control and we will be well-placed to avoid another one, another set of cases, another lockdown in the future. Dan Andrews: (06:57) But one thing is certain. If we don't follow the rules and if we don't make difficult decisions, then there is an alternative, and that's where cases run wild and no contact tracing can pull it up. Each day it gets worse, rather than better, and then you're locked in until we're all vaccinated. And that's not happening next week, or even next month. That's happening in many weeks' time. I'm determined, and I believe we have every chance of being open for the vast majority of the time between now and when we're up to 80% of people have had the jab. That is absolutely doable, but we've all got to play our part to achieve that outcome. I can't guarantee that, but I can certainly be clear with Victorians that if we don't follow the rules, if we don't stick together, if we don't have that sense of common purpose and be as stubborn and as determined as this virus, then we just look to what's happening in other parts of the country, and that will happen here. Dan Andrews: (08:03) And we don't want that. So that's why these difficult decisions have been made, and nothing about this is optional. This is a lockdown. It will be enforced. It's for the best of reasons and the best of purposes, and that is to bring these case numbers down under control so that we can once again be open. Just finally before we go to questions, the treasurer and or the minister, Minister Pallas and Minister Pakula will be out tomorrow, as early as tomorrow, to make some further announcements about business support, because we know this will hurt a lot. And we'll look to make those payments as quickly as we can using that automatic payment function that we've used before, and we would look forward to another strong partnership with the Commonwealth government, just as we did a few weeks ago, last week in fact. With a 50-50 split on additional support, we would be confident that the Commonwealth government and our government can continue to work together positively to support those affected businesses. Dan Andrews: (09:02) Sorry, I did say finally, but there is one more point to make. Why is this in Regional Victoria, when the cases are predominantly in Melbourne? Well, we have a sewage test that has detected COVID in the northeast. So the Wangaratta sewage test has pinged, if you like, firstly positive, then it went negative. Now it's gone positive again, so we have some reason to believe that there is COVID either in that community or has been in that community. We saw last time, only a few weeks ago, this went from Melbourne into Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Barwon Heads, all the way up to Mildura. We all have to work as hard as we can to avoid this spreading any further than it already has, but I don't get the luxury, we don't get the luxury, of assuming that we have all of the knowns, that we know everything about this. Dan Andrews: (09:54) We've always got to assume there are more cases out there than we have positive test results. And with one sewage detection, we have to assume that there are cases. So that's why it's statewide, and I think as painful as it is and as counterintuitive sometimes as it is, we don't want this taking a hold in country of Victoria. We just don't. None of us are happy to be here, none of us. But these are the realities we face, and none of us have the luxury of ignoring them. I'm happy to take any questions you have. Speaker 1: (10:26) Should Victorians now accept that until we do get that vaccination level, [inaudible 00:10:32]? Just a further question. Is the seven days required, or is that so that after three or five days, if that was to be announced, you didn't have to extend it again? [crosstalk 00:10:44]? Dan Andrews: (10:43) Seven days is the advice, and we followed the advice. I think it is unlikely that we would bring that forward, but we review it every single day. I'd hope not to have to extend it, but again, we'll be guided not so much by what's politically convenient or popular, we'll be guided by what the science tells us. What is the epidemiological picture each day, each hour, over the course of the week? What story does that tell? And hopefully, it tells a story of, yes, there are extra cases, but we find them and we find them quickly. Their close contacts are locked down, fast. We test, we trace, we isolate, and then we can quarantine people. That's the strategy. I'll just make the point that the notion of snap lockdowns being the new normal, the pre-vaccination normal, this infill theory between now and whenever we get to 70 and then to 80%, that's not just Victorian government policy or my policy. Dan Andrews: (11:33) That is endorsed by the Department of Treasury at a national level as being less costly to all of us in the long-term than being locked down for months. It is also supported by the Doherty Institute, one of the world's most preeminent infectious diseases research institutes in their modeling that they presented to National Cabinet last week. And just finally on that point, it is the National Cabinet-endorsed position. And I thank the prime minister for his comments, very clear comments today, where he had confidence in our capacity, confidence in our decision-making, and confidence in the framework that we would use to come to this very difficult judgment today. Speaker 2: (12:15) So what's the medical advice supporting seven days? Why not say three days, or five days? Why the full seven? Dan Andrews: (12:17) Well, given where this is, given that it's not just one mystery case but potentially two, we think that we may need as long as seven days. We'll monitor that every single day. I don't want to be here, [Julia 00:12:30], foreshadowing or giving people false hope that it's going to be on Monday, I'm going to be standing here saying it's all fine and we can open up again. I think that is not going to happen. Seven days is what we believe is necessary, but let's hope that is accurate. We'll all be working as hard as we can to make sure that come 8:00 PM next Thursday, we can be out of this. Dan Andrews: (12:51) Can I say though, each of us have a part to play in this. And if we follow these rules, if we take this lockdown seriously as we always have in the past, if we see a very high degree of compliance, and if we see people who are asked, and it may well be tens of thousands of people who are asked to stay at home and not leave their home for any reason, if we see them doing the right thing and being really disciplined about this, then there's every chance we can bring a sense of control to this. But it's one of those things. I want to be confident, I want to be sending a positive message, but I've got to be honest with the Victorian community. We all have to play a part, and I can't with any certainty say where we'll be tomorrow or in three days or in seven days. Dan Andrews: (13:32) All I can talk about is what the advice is and what we're going to work towards achieving, and that is an end to these restrictions in seven days' time. Speaker 3: (13:39) Have any new cases been detected since you last spoke? Dan Andrews: (13:42) There's two on the board, and no further cases beyond that. And I can't give you any details on them, because they'll still be going through the interview process now. Speaker 4: (13:50) Did we come out of lockdown five too early? Dan Andrews: (13:53) There are no alternatives to lockdown. If you wait, it'll spread. And once it spreads, you can never even hope to run alongside it, let alone get out in front of it and bring it back down to zero or a low number of cases. This thing moves so fast. This is now settled. There's no debate or discussion about this. The Delta variant moves at lightning speed, and by the time you get to people, they've already infected all the people they live with, all the people they work with, all the people they've spent time with. We can't allow that to happen. Dan Andrews: (14:21) Otherwise, we're locked down until Christmas. We're locked down until we get 80% of people through the vaccination program. I don't want that. Let's try and do everything we can. Surely, we can agree. Let's all try and avoid that. That's what this lockdown is about. Speaker 4: (14:35) Premier, did we come out of lockdown five too early, even though we still- Dan Andrews: (14:41) Look, I'm not for a moment standing here saying I'm pleased that this is the only option, but I'm not. I wish we weren't here. Whether it's sustainable or not, you've got to think, what is the the alternative? To be really frank, we don't have enough people that have been vaccinated, and therefore- Dan Andrews: (15:03) We don't have enough people that have been vaccinated and therefore, this is the only option available to us. Once people are vaccinated, then we have many more options, many more options to the question about, were there other things you could do. There will be. A time will come when we have got many more options, but that isn't now. We've got to get to 70%, you have some more options. 80%, then we're into a different world. It's not easy, like 100%'s where you really want to get to, but we all acknowledge we won't get to that. But 80% is a minimum. If we can get up above that and I'm confident we will, then the world is very, very different. But we're a long way from that now. Speaker 5: (15:50) [inaudible 00:15:50]. Dan Andrews: (15:50) We're not certain of that. When we are in a position to shed more light on the circumstances behind any of those cases, we will, as we always have done. Speaker 5: (16:04) [inaudible 00:16:04]. Dan Andrews: (16:04) Well, I would simply say that I've tried all the way along to never say or do anything that would discourage people from coming forward and getting tested. And if we're going to potentially have an entire state's blame and anger focused on one person, I don't think that sends a very good message. It might make us all feel better for a short period of time. So I won't answer in the specific, but in the broad, let me make this point. You cannot feel ill for a day or two, and then go and get tested. You just can't. You've got to go and get tested as soon as you feel unwell, as soon as you have any of those well-known and well understood coronavirus symptoms. Dan Andrews: (16:55) I'm appealing to every Victorian. Please go and get tested so that none of us have to be in this position again, as a state. It's critical. In fact, nothing's more important. You get symptoms, you go and get tested, like within hours. We're getting results back really fast. The cues are not that long. We will get you through as fast as possible. And you will have done something profound, something genuinely profound for your health and safety and for the safety of everybody. Speaker 9: (17:30) [inaudible 00:17:30] Dan Andrews: (17:30) Well, again, I'm not here necessarily to... Sorry. I think, we're still unable to necessarily confirm, and it's not been my practice to be calling out individual behavior, but what I want and what we need, which is more important than what I want. What we need is for people, if they've got symptoms, they've got to get tested immediately, not wait four or five days. That doesn't do anybody any good. But we can't change that. We can't change what this person did. We can't change the choices that this person made, but we're very grateful to this person that they are working with us and telling us their full story. Rather than punishing them for that, I think we should always encourage people to be upfront. The value of the information far exceeds any fine or the contribution that the information makes to us getting out of this and opened up again is far more important than any of us feeling happy for a short moment if we were to be out there criticizing this person. I don't think that necessarily helps. Dan Andrews: (18:37) The most important thing is, if you're asked to isolate, you must isolate. When the rules say you can't visit people, no matter how much you love them, you can't visit them. Then you can't visit them. And when I ask you, and when doctors ask you and the whole system asks you to test as soon as you register symptoms, it's for you and every single Victorian. And that's why we would appeal again. You've got to get tested as soon as you register symptoms. Not go to work, not delay for an hour, let alone an afternoon, or four or five days. You just can't. Speaker 6: (19:11) [inaudible 00:19:11] Dan Andrews: (19:11) There will be lots of different theories that are being actively investigated. The reason it's a mystery case is that we... Multiple mystery cases here is that we can't pinpoint. We don't know. The better thing rather than me theorizing, and if I might suggest, anyone theorizing, let's wait for the genomics, which will come to us hopefully tonight, if not tomorrow morning and we'll then be hopefully in a much better and much clearer sense of where this has come from. That's why we do genomic testing. Speaker 7: (19:52) [inaudible 00:19:52] Dan Andrews: (19:52) Well, hang on. What I'm saying to you is there is a fine balance to be struck between holding people accountable for actions that we can't change. They've already occurred. We can't change that. And essentially building in a disincentive for people going and getting tested. If people are fearful that they will be held accountable and fined and all of those sorts of things, then they perhaps won't come forward and get tested. [crosstalk 00:20:22] Dan Andrews: (20:22) Well, again, this is the position we're in. Is it perfect? No. Does it make complete sense from every perspective? No. I can start issuing fines to people and then people will not come forward and get tested. Speaker 8: (20:37) Mr. Premier, how many more- Dan Andrews: (20:38) And then we'll have more and- Speaker 8: (20:43) [inaudible 00:20:43]. Dan Andrews: (20:43) Look, the key point here is, we need to track and trace these cases. We need people to be truthful. I don't think they necessarily will be truthful if they're under fear of multiple $1500 fines for telling their story and allowing us to track and trace and close the thing down. The easiest thing is to say, let's just throw the book at those people. Well, that won't change case numbers. We'll probably drive them up and we'll still be locked down. So what's the ultimate enemy here, a small number of people who've done the wrong thing or the virus? I think the virus is our enemy and we need to be focused on that. Now, that might make us all feel better for a short period of time if we were to go after some of those people. I can't change what they've done. I can only appeal to people and appeal to Victorians to make decisions. Dan Andrews: (21:36) It's not that they're making decisions that are in my best interest. It's about making decisions that are in your own best interest. No one wants to get this. People want to be out of lockdown as quickly as possible. And the best way to achieve that is if we all work together and we just follow these basic steps. You can't be going out and about if you're sick. Get tested if you're sick and do nothing else. If you're asked to isolate, please isolate. The rules prohibit visiting family and friends in their home for good reason. Because as we see here, it can do nothing more than contribute to the spread of this virus and add to a lockdown. That's not what we want. Speaker 8: (22:18) [inaudible 00:22:18] Dan Andrews: (22:18) I'm indicating to you that none of those matters are necessarily settled, but we are looking at a whole lot of different information that's provided to us. I'm being as upfront as I can be with you. And I don't think it's just these cases. I think that it's fair to say, and all of us will know people in our own circles, in our own lives who are potentially, not necessarily following the rules. And I'm not making judgements. I know it's hard. It's very difficult. We're well into this. We all wish this was over. So before you go and write columns about how I'm blaming people. I'm being honest and frank. I don't care what you did yesterday. But you can't do it today and tomorrow. You've got to stop doing that. We've got to follow these rules for the best of reasons. Dan Andrews: (23:10) It's not about making judgments. I know it's tough. I know that, after 18 months, people can convince themselves of a lot of things. Oh, it'll be fine if I can just duck over to my son's place. I can just duck over to friends, family, whatever it might be. The rules are there for a reason. To keep us open, to keep case numbers down, and to keep people alive. As I said before, I wish I couldn't quote this, but a bloke in his twenties died in Sydney yesterday. This is not something that's happening on the other side of the world. It's not something that only happens to very frail old people or people who are critical who've got poorer health. It can happen to any of us. That's why getting vaccinated is so important, but we're not there yet. And that's why we have to fill this time, we have to fill in this intervening period with a renewed vigilance, looking out for each other and being determined to continue to make these sacrifices so that we can prevail against this thing and not have it win out. Speaker 10: (24:10) Should Victorians be blaming then the New South Wales premier for his latest two lock downs really, if you're going to blame anybody? Dan Andrews: (24:17) Well. I don't... To be honest, I don't think blame necessarily works against this virus and I'm not here- Speaker 10: (24:23) [inaudible 00:24:23] on their behalf, was it not? Dan Andrews: (24:24) Sorry? Speaker 10: (24:24) It was mismanagement on their behalf, was it not? Dan Andrews: (24:27) No, you can make your own judgment. I'm not here to talk about New South Wales other than to paint, I think, as I said before, nothing I'm saying today should be taken as a criticism of what's happening to our north. But I don't think you can have a proper discussion about the decisions we've just made without referencing what's appearing in Sydney. We don't want that to happen here. We've been through that already and worse. It's not about, to Cameron's question before, I wish there were five, ten other options and there's a different lever you could pull, but there isn't. There isn't. It's either, this thing because it moves so fast, it's either lock it down and get the cases down to zero or close to it, zero in the community, certainly, or it runs wild. It gets away from you and there's no pulling it back. Dan Andrews: (25:14) No one is more upset to see cases in Sydney going up than me because their problem is our problem. A problem anywhere will be a problem everywhere for our nation because we're not vaccinated yet. That's going to happen, but it's going to take time. And in the meantime, we have to keep this thing at bay, function as much as we can, but we just can't have a situation where our hospitals become completely and utterly overrun. And look, again, not to be criticizing or to be obsessing with Sydney. But if they opened up tomorrow, their hospitals would be overrun in a matter of days. We don't want that to happen here or anywhere for that matter. Speaker 11: (25:59) [inaudible 00:25:59] of the delta variant, is it possible that maybe we've jumped the gun and things [inaudible 00:26:03] Dan Andrews: (26:07) No, I think that we looked at all the cases. We looked at all the data we had. We looked very, very carefully and closely. There's no confirmation that these mystery cases, the reason they're a mystery is we can't link them back to the outbreak. It may well be that, and I won't make a judgment about how likely or unlikely it is, but it may well be, it's more than possible that these cases are not connected. And we're looking at some links to some people who have come to Victoria out of New South Wales hotel quarantine recently. We're looking at every possible connection and it may well be that these cases, the mystery cases are not connected to the outbreak that we've just dealt with. They are a separate issue. Dan Andrews: (26:50) We have many people who are here on red zone permits. One of them may have turned positive. One of them may have turned positive and not necessarily stayed in their house the entire time. There's many different options here. Genomics will help us clarify, further interviewing and casework, all that stuff, the contact tracers do. And they'll be doing it all night, tonight and tomorrow, and for every day they need to. That may well give us the clarity that we're after. But no, I don't think that's the case at all. Paul: (27:18) Are you able to go into any of those lines of inquiry in more detail? Dan Andrews: (27:22) No, I'm not. None of us are at this point, but there will be a time and I think genomics will be- Paul: (27:26) Why mention the New South Wales when so far [inaudible 00:27:31] so un-advanced- Dan Andrews: (27:31) No, it's not un-advanced. No, no, no. I would've thought, Paul, you worked out. I choose my words very carefully and I'm saying it, because I know it. And it's a fact. Whether it bears out, I'm not saying it's absolutely 100% what's happened, but it is a line of inquiry. It is a genuine line of inquiry. I don't want to be rude in any way. If I say it, I say it because I wouldn't want you to later on come at me and say, "You knew that. Why didn't you say it?" So it's about being as frank as I've always done this. I've always been as frank as possible. It doesn't mean you like what I say, but I've always been frank. So that is a line of inquiry, but I can't go into any further detail because it's not settled yet. It may come to absolutely nothing, or it may well be the course. We just have to work this through. Speaker 12: (28:16) Mr. Premier for the sake of transparency, what evidence do you have that that's coming from hotel quarantine? Dan Andrews: (28:22) Well, hang on. No, no, no. Speaker 12: (28:23) [crosstalk 00:28:23] something tells me they provided could possibly- Dan Andrews: (28:26) Yeah. There's a couple of people that have come back from Sydney. They were in hotel quarantine and it may well be the case that they've been visited against the rules by someone who is a positive case. Whether they got it from them, whether they've even got it, we have to wait and see. Speaker 13: (28:44) So we know that [inaudible 00:28:44], we're just trying to confirm that would be New South Wales [inaudible 00:28:47]. Dan Andrews: (28:49) Yes. And there's probably a few other unknowns in that as well. Speaker 14: (28:57) [inaudible 00:28:57] Dan Andrews: (29:14) Well, I wouldn't say that there was a haste. We had extended the lockdown, the lockdown ran longer than it was supposed to. And no doubt there's a lot of people had a view about that, would have much preferred it to be shorter rather than longer. I wouldn't want any Victorian, you guys or any other Victorian to be in any doubt. The public health team pour over all the data. There are multiple meetings. Going into a lockdown is an incredibly difficult decision and formulating the advice that underpins that is not easy, but we're working out when you can safely come out is also a very involved process, a very deliberate process. I wouldn't want anyone to think that that those judgements are made in haste. They're very difficult judgments. And the only way to avoid them, I suppose, would be never go into lockdown and have your system overrun. Dan Andrews: (30:03) ... never go into lockdown, and have your system overrun, hospitals overrun. Or never come out of lockdown, and I don't know that that'd necessarily work either. So it's just one of those balancing acts, but I wouldn't say it was a hasty decision. It was one that was thought about long and hard, and I would just note the lockdown was longer, substantially longer than it had had been planned to be, because the cases justified that. Rich: (30:24) [inaudible 00:30:24]. Dan Andrews: (30:28) There are a number of close contacts that are public housing residents, and we'll be supporting them. I don't believe any of them have turned positive yet, but we'll be supporting them. There'll be a number of people who will, because it's not possible to isolate and share a house with somebody, we may well have to house many more people in our CQV hotels, rather than having them quarantine at home or isolate at home. I just want to be clear, I've not made this decision yet. But if I have to make the decision to suspend flights, I will inform the Prime Minister of that. And we will use that hotel quarantine capacity to support locals who need somewhere to sleep, they need somewhere to stay. Because if they were to stay in their family home, they would likely infect everybody else they live with. So that's on the table, that's something that we're looking at closely. Rich: (31:21) [inaudible 00:31:21]. Dan Andrews: (31:26) Common sense will prevail. We're not... Police and authorized officers are not going to be out there booking people and issuing fines for people who can't be back home and comply with these orders by 8:00 PM. But, people are expected to make best efforts to comply. But if you're at the other end of the state and you're driving back and you're not going to get home by 8:00 PM, we would ask you, and you are required to in good faith, do your level best to comply with the orders once they come into effect, which will be at the strike of 8:00 PM tonight. Roger: (32:00) [crosstalk 00:32:00] [inaudible 00:32:05]. Dan Andrews: (32:05) Certainly. Roger: (32:05) Will there be an assessment of what [inaudible 00:32:09]? Dan Andrews: (32:10) So, I've spoken about business support, that'll be forthcoming tomorrow. And there will also be... And in terms of personal support, whether it be counseling, mental health support, all of the drug and alcohol, all of those services, we've boosted those consistently throughout the international, the global pandemic, and we will again look to bolster those services. It stands to reason that they'll have increased demand at the most difficult times. And, this will be yet again, another lockdown, a really tough time for a lot of people. So we stand ready to support them. But unfortunately, there is every chance. In fact, it's almost certain that if we didn't make these incredibly difficult decisions, then we would finish up in an even worse position in only a matter of days. That's how fast this thing moves. Julia: (33:06) [inaudible 00:33:06], are AFL games going ahead this weekend? Dan Andrews: (33:10) They have no crowds at them, and I think there is a professional sport. So it's about work, so I don't believe your note doesn't have anything different, so I think it will be the same as last time. Speaker 15: (33:20) I'm going to ask you for [inaudible 00:33:22]. Dan Andrews: (33:23) Sorry? Speaker 15: (33:27) [inaudible 00:33:27]. Dan Andrews: (33:27) I wish we weren't here. I wish we weren't here. I wish that the food and wine capital of our nation, the live theater, arts and culture capital of our nation was open 100%, 110% for business. That's my wish. We don't get to enjoy that at the moment. The alternative is that instead of being shut for seven days, we're shut for seven weeks or even longer. I don't want that, I'll do everything I can to avoid that. I know that it'll be very tough tonight, very tough and tough for the next seven days. That's why tomorrow, so at the earliest opportunity, there will be a significant package of business support, and we will waste no time in pushing that money out to those who are eligible, and that will be people who have received payments in recent times. They won't have to apply again, no paperwork. They'll simply get the funding, and that'll make a contribution to them getting to the other side of this. Speaker 1: (34:23) You emphasized [inaudible 00:34:24]. Dan Andrews: (34:23) Yes. Speaker 1: (34:24) [inaudible 00:34:24] experience last time. Dan Andrews: (34:25) Yes. Speaker 1: (34:25) We know that almost all transmissions before the last lockdown was Covid. Dan Andrews: (34:25) Yes. Speaker 1: (34:25) By a lot. Dan Andrews: (34:30) Yeah, yeah. Speaker 1: (34:30) How much in value form does [inaudible 00:34:33]? And just on that, are there hate on the sites that [inaudible 00:34:37] might identify this time around, where transmission probably occurred in the last few days where we might see patients on that front. Do you know? Dan Andrews: (34:45) What I would say to you is, it's now not just a Victorian approach, it is the national cabinet agreed approach. You almost can't go too fast, you almost can't act fast enough even if you do it the very day that you get positive cases. And what experience shows us the world over is that if you feel like the government might've acted a bit too quickly, chances are they've got it exactly right. That's what the international evidence shows us, and it's what our own experience shows us. And as you rightly point out, it's in the period when you're not locked down that you will get the majority of cases. That's why locking down quickly works, because it shuts off those chains of transmission really early, and in fact prevents a whole lot of them ever starting. Dan Andrews: (35:28) In terms of venues, what I can say at this stage, homes. None of us needed convincing or needed reminding of how high risk home environments can be. I think that off the early information we have, we would say we've been right to be concerned about that all this time, and that's why I'm pleading, appealing to every Victorian, please do not go and visit people in their home, please don't have people to your home. All you may maybe doing is spreading this virus, and seeing us locked down for longer. We don't want that, we just don't want that. And we can, together, make that less likely if we just all follow the rules. And no visit to someone you love is worth all of us being locked down for days and days, and potentially worse. Speaker 16: (36:20) [inaudible 00:36:20] yesterday. How long is it going to take [inaudible 00:36:26] for that feedback? Dan Andrews: (36:25) I think we're getting it tonight. I believe we're getting it tonight. Speaker 1: (36:40) Do you feel the actual anguish at having to do this again? Do you sometimes have personal doubt that [inaudible 00:36:41] this again? Does that factor into your [inaudible 00:36:41]? Dan Andrews: (36:45) These are very challenging times for all of us, all of us, and I haven't got the option of doing anything other than following the advice I'm given. Particularly when I know that it's advice that has worked, and will work again. Am I gutted to have to stand here and make those? Of course, I am. As much as I enjoy your company, I would much prefer not to be here now having to make these difficult announcements. They are incredibly painful, they are incredibly difficult. But the alternative is not being locked down for seven days, it's being locked down for seven weeks or more. Locked down until we get to 80% vaccination, and that may not happen until almost Christmas time. We have been through a three month lockdown, that was 2020. We don't want that again, and this Delta variant just makes it so hard for us, there's no other option. If we had other options, we would use them. I think Victorians know that. In terms of how I feel, it's incredibly challenging. But you've got to stand up and make the right decisions, and that's exactly what we've done. Rich: (37:57) Can you tell about [inaudible 00:37:57]? Dan Andrews: (38:06) We'll have some advice. Sorry Rich, you asked me this morning, my answer hasn't changed. This morning and last night, we were very close to making announcements. We remain very close to making announcements, that timeline hasn't changed. And I think in the next couple of days, we'll be able to share with the community a new way to get access for many tens of thousands of people who can safely... After a consultation with their GP, they can give informed consent and they can receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. That's what we want to happen. We've got pretty significant stockpiles, and we want to use every one of them, push that out for those who've been to see their doctor, have made an informed choice. We want that to happen, and how that will work in state clinics, we'll have more to say about that soon. Speaker 1: (38:50) [crosstalk 00:38:50] They'll get it at the hospital. Dan Andrews: (38:51) Well, it's always a good time to get more people vaccinated, this is even important. The other point I want to make today, and I'm not... I've always been about wherever the greatest need is, that's where the greatest support should go. But I have to say, I was a bit surprised to learn of all that extra Pfizer going into New South Wales, and we hadn't been told about that. But that's fine, they've got a greater need, give them a greater amount of Pfizer. I'm told that there's also some additional supplies going into Queensland. And on the back on the back of that, we've made a request for a bit of extra to come to us. Julia: (39:25) How much though? Dan Andrews: (39:26) Not sure actually. We'll be working through that with the Commonwealth, and perhaps if we can confirm that for you later on today or tomorrow, we will. Julia: (39:35) I'm given as well- Dan Andrews: (39:35) We don't want to make a request that's got no chance of the answer being yes, so we'll just work that through. I will note though, I did ask for about 7,500 doses last week, so that we could 50-50 half from us, half from the Feds to do all of our supermarket distribution centers, so as to keep food on our shelves and food on the shelves of supermarkets across the whole nation. That wasn't available, so we're doing that on our own, and we're quite well advanced in our planning. But any additional doses is a good thing. And to Rich's point, getting more Pfizer or getting more AstraZeneca out through our state clinics, that's something that we'll have more to say about soon. Julia: (40:15) And also, given that we've seen [inaudible 00:40:15], and assuming that people really hope over the last few days. Dan Andrews: (40:15) Yes. Julia: (40:15) Do you think that it's time that we open up Pfizer, the supplies that we do have, for all young people, given that there seem to be a demand there. Dan Andrews: (40:27) Yeah. Look, there's a... Not only with the tragedy in Sydney and the hospitalization, I'm not an epidemiologist or a virologist, but the virus will go where the vaccine isn't. So it stands to reason that you're finish up with more people who aren't vaccinated, becoming unwell. It's also, I think true to say that the greater transmission risk is from those who are moving around more, they have more close contacts. They're moving about different environments more. And again, I'll let the Prime Minister and Minister Hunt and General [inaudible 00:40:57] speak to this properly, and better qualified than me to talk to it. Dan Andrews: (41:00) But I wouldn't want anyone to think that cohorts were being denied out of choice. It's just about how much we've got. And Julia, I think there's probably 100 different, maybe 1,000 different groups who could mount a case. We've heard about teachers, we've heard about kinder staff and educators. We've heard about supermarket workers, the list goes on non. They all make a really good, strong case. Problem is, we haven't got the stuff. We haven't got the warehouses full of this stuff, and we're not likely to have that until September, October, November. Julia: (41:39) And as an idea, should it a point for all? Should you be able to have access, regardless of your age? Dan Andrews: (41:39) Well, I think that the cohort-based approach has served us well. And the fact that you don't have this running wild through private sector aged care in Sydney as it did here, and you therefore don't have all those hundreds of families having to deal with the tragic loss of a loved one, a burden that they still, in our state, carry today? That is a testament to the decisions made to vaccinate the frail and the elderly first. Dan Andrews: (42:09) Now we're moving into a different phase. And I would say to you, rather than us trying to will more Pfizer here, I think having a conversation with people that's medically led, that's got ethicacy from a clinical point of view and is safe, let's push more of the AstraZeneca out to younger people because it's safe to do that. And we can, because we've got stockpiles of that. And as I said, it's a bit frustrating. I can't announce it right now, because it's got to be done properly. But it will be done very soon, we'll be back very soon to announce exactly that. And hopefully from next week, we can have some new settings that we'll see many more people vaccinated. Speaker 16: (42:54) [crosstalk 00:42:54] is there a race on [inaudible 00:42:55], along with a [inaudible 00:43:01]? Dan Andrews: (43:03) If we all hope as we do, we hope to have these restrictions off as soon as possible. They have to be fast, they have to be quick. Not only does it have to be a snap lockdown, but it has to be a harsh lockdown. And that's where the five K's comes from. That's the advice we've got, it's what we believe will work, and it's what we've endorsed. Speaker 16: (43:24) Do you have any more [inaudible 00:43:25]? Dan Andrews: (43:32) Not that I can update you on, but we're happy to get back to you. Roger: (43:34) I know it's light [crosstalk 00:43:35]. Dan Andrews: (43:35) [crosstalk 00:43:35] It was yes, no, and then yes again. So it's quite recent, and I think there's some in Caroline Springs as well. But we'll come back to you Roger. Speaker 17: (43:43) And I guess there are a lot of [inaudible 00:43:55] stories around [inaudible 00:43:55]. Speaker 18: (43:55) You're a fucking coward Ed! Speaker 17: (43:55) I don't recall helping them. Dan Andrews: (43:55) Well, there are a lot of people that would have said that Mildura was a long way from Balin, Bacchus Marsh, South Barwon. A long way from Melbourne, a long way from the MCG. Turned out that it wasn't though. Speaker 17: (44:05) [crosstalk 00:44:05] when you had [crosstalk 00:44:06]. Dan Andrews: (44:06) Yeah, sure. And at this stage, we'd have to assume that the same thing has happened. Because you only get one chance to assume that, and if you make the wrong call, then almost certainly it'll finish up in regional Victoria, and we've got all sorts of problems on our hands. And I think that the people in Wijira who did an outstanding job, I think it is. There's an extra degree. It's quite traumatic and quite challenging to have this visit your community for the very first time. We don't want any more communities in regional Victoria to have to experience that. A pretty tough bunch, and they did a great job. But this is the right choice to make now, and I'm sure that there'll be others who'll say, for their own political reasons. "No, no. It should be more targeted, it should be more bespoke." We tried limited lockdowns last year, it didn't work. I'll leave you to judge whether targeted lockdowns in other parts of the country at the moment are working, you can make those judgements. I'm following the advice of our experts, and that is that it's all in for seven days- Dan Andrews: (45:03) I'm following the advice of our experts. And that is that it's all in for seven days. And if we all work really hard, we can get out of it. Speaker 1: (45:07) I know we want to get out of it. Does [crosstalk 00:45:08] have any new data on any of the cases? Do you have any new data on any of the- Rachel: (45:14) Can I just ask the premiere one more question. Dan Andrews: (45:15) Sure, [inaudible 00:45:16]. Rachel: (45:16) Is ongoing days of zero local COVID cases an unrealistic target now that you have the delta variant? Dan Andrews: (45:23) No, I don't believe so. We may may have ongoing cases, not just of zero. We could have ongoing low numbers if they were not in the community, if they've been isolating. Dan Andrews: (45:36) But it is incredibly challenging, I think, to remain open and have the delta variant kind of bubbling. It doesn't bubble. It just rages. It goes anywhere it can. And if you're open, then all we do is, all of us knowingly or unknowingly, we all contribute to spreading it. Rachel: (46:00) That is the goal, is it not? Dan Andrews: (46:00) Well, the goal is to actively suppress through testing, tracing, isolating, and quarantine down to zero in the community. You could have cases that were not in the community. Dan Andrews: (46:15) And look, if there were eight cases today, but they'd all been tucked away and they hadn't been near anybody, we wouldn't be standing here. The problem we've got is it three are in that category. Five of them, we can't work out where they got it from or if they got it from each other. There's at least two of them that got it from somewhere. And we can't work out how or where or when. Dan Andrews: (46:37) And that's where you get to this position where you have to assume there's more of it. Dan Andrews: (46:42) So, I think zero is achievable. And I think low numbers are maintainable, but until you get to 80% of the community that's had the jab, the notion you could have 20 or 30 cases, you'd only have that for a day or two. Then it's hundreds, then it's thousands. And that's a very challenging set of circumstances for our, for our nurses and our doctors and our ambos and our cooks and cleaners in our hospitals. Dan Andrews: (47:09) If you're unconvinced by anything I've said, perhaps we should organize a couple of our health professionals to come and talk to you that dealt with our second wave last year, which was not delta. But it did involve many hundreds of people who passed away and many hundreds more that were in hospital. And those nurses and ambos and doctors and the whole team tell me some horrific stories of just how challenging it was to nurse and to care for people. Dan Andrews: (47:32) We can't go back to that. We just can't, particularly with delta, because it'll just be everything times 10. Rachel: (47:39) Can you just give your message to school kids that are going back to online learning? Dan Andrews: (47:44) We got through this last year. There was months of learning from home. I'm not for a moment saying it's easy. I've got a year 11 and a year nine at home, and there'll be learning from home tomorrow and for the next seven days. Dan Andrews: (47:58) It's very challenging. But I think we are up to this task. We've done it before. We can do it again. Dan Andrews: (48:03) To parents, I thank you in advance for the sacrifices that you're making, how tough it will be. And to our teachers and staff, I think we're in awe of the job they did last year. Dan Andrews: (48:15) We have done this before. We will get through this again. Dan Andrews: (48:17) If I had other options, I would use them. I simply don't. I must follow the advice I'm given. And the best advice says the only way to pull up a delta outbreak is to lock down hard and fast for seven days. Dan Andrews: (48:29) If we all play our part, then we can get past this and be open again. And then work as hard as we can to vaccinate everybody as fast as the Commonwealth can provide us with vaccines and then look with a sense of optimism and hope to a different time, which will be predominantly the very last moments of this year and hopefully beyond. Speaker 19: (48:53) [inaudible 00:48:53] Dan Andrews: (48:58) Well, we've got a brand new strain and I think you'd get to 725 cases, not in months, but in days, if you were to let this go, if it was to get out and get beyond you. Dan Andrews: (49:09) I think that, as every Victorian would want us to, we've learned from every case. We've improved after every outbreak. It's a constant process of improvement. Dan Andrews: (49:18) And we now have, instead of some of the bickering last year, some of the politicking, we now have the federal government completely aligned with our strategy. And it's now agreed. It's no longer a point of political contest about what is needed. Dan Andrews: (49:35) And no one enjoys lock downs, but what's worse than the seven day lockdown? One that runs for seven weeks. And I just want to do everything I possibly can to avoid that. Speaker 19: (49:46) And just in terms of the strictures, there was a change made between weeks one and two last lock down. Dan Andrews: (49:52) Outside work? Speaker 19: (49:54) Yes. Dan Andrews: (49:55) We're going back. Outside work is not included. We've gone back to the original, so it is as per the first set of rules. Dan Andrews: (50:01) When we made the extension, you're right. We did do some easing. There's some specific provisions for kids with disabilities, vulnerable children, and kids of essential workers. All of this will be up online. All of this will be there for people to look at. And we're grateful to each of you for the part you play in helping us to get these rules and these messages out. Dan Andrews: (50:20) I'll say it again because I literally cannot say it enough. If you're sick today, right now, you're watching this and you feel you've got any COVID symptoms go and get tested tonight. Testing facilities are open. Stay away from everybody else till you get your results. Dan Andrews: (50:34) And this is the final thing and I'd be grateful to each of you if you can help us push this message out. Dan Andrews: (50:39) If you don't have resources to fall back on and you need to get tested and stay away from work for a day, we will pay you $450. No questions asked, because you staying at home is worth so much more than $450. So, if you're a casual worker and I don't work, I don't get paid, then isolating could cost you a shift. Well, no, it won't because we will give you $450. Dan Andrews: (51:08) Secondly, if you are positive or you are a close contact that has to isolate for two weeks, we will give you $1,500. Dan Andrews: (51:16) So, no one in Victoria has to make that choice between feeding their family and doing the right thing by the rest of us. Everyone can do the right thing by the rest of us, including their own family. Stay at home, follow the rules, isolate, test, all of that because we stand ready to provide you with support. And we have done that for thousands and thousands of people. Dan Andrews: (51:39) And we might get a neater way of saying it than I just did. And if you can help us get that message out again, that would be very, very useful. Speaker 19: (51:45) What are the rules around elective surgery? Dan Andrews: (51:47) There's no change to elective surgery, so it'll continue as it did last time. Speaker 1: (51:54) And just to clarify, are you [inaudible 00:51:54]. Dan Andrews: (52:03) Well, we're investigating all matter of different things. Let me come back to you.I don't want to make something up. Let me just take that on notice, make sure that I fully understand how you're describing people and how they have you potentially interacted with each other, and then we'll give you as much information as we can. Speaker 1: (52:23) I was hearing on the line- Dan Andrews: (52:24) I've walked off. And you called me back, so I think it's very much worthwhile hearing from Jerome for as long as you'd like to, but is there any more for me on any matters? Dan Andrews: (52:35) Well, Jerome it is. Speaker 1: (52:39) Can you please expand on, if you can, the [inaudible 00:52:41], both on the testing the worker and interacting with HR? And then just, any [inaudible 00:52:49] Jerome: (52:53) Sure. Okay. Well, it's been all of like four hours since we last spoke around the cases. Let me give a big run through of where we are at the moment. Jerome: (52:59) We have a case, an unlink case at this point in time, is a man who lives in the city of [Marbilong 00:53:05]. He's the one who works in a warehouse in Dermott. We have tested his house mates that he lives with. We're awaiting results of that test. He also has a number of relatives who live in other properties. We are testing those relatives at this point in time. Jerome: (53:19) That's one of our lines of inquiry at the moment, that it runs through plenty of connections with their relatives. There is a potential further link onto another set of relatives who have come back recently from Sydney. That is a line of inquiry that we're following at this point in time. Jerome: (53:32) We're expecting testing results in for that cohort over the coming night, probably in the early hours of tomorrow morning. That will give us much more information about where that cluster has got to the other. Jerome: (53:42) The other cases from last night, so two positive cases, a couple who live in the city of Hobsons Bay. One of those is the teacher at Al-Taqwa College. The other is somebody who works in Caroline Springs. They've both tested positive. We've known about them for just over 24 hours now. Jerome: (53:59) We have relatives of one of these individuals who live in Altona North. Those relatives have all been tested. It's two older adults and three younger people. Those five have been tested. Two of them have currently tested positive, one of the elderly residents of that household and the one of the younger residents of that household. We're awaiting test results for the other three at this point in time. Jerome: (54:22) We're of course then doing a lot of testing around the workplaces, workplaces in Caroline Springs, workplaces in Dermott, workplaces around Al-Taqwa college, a lot of fantastic response, particularly today and yesterday, from the school community around Al-Taqwa, similarly to as we've seen from other school communities in recent outbreaks. So, great turnout last night at the testing stations and again today. Jerome: (54:43) And again, my message, just to add to the premiere's message, if you haven't got tested yet today, because you thought the queues were a bit long this morning, they're not long now. We had three hour queues and some of our western testing stations this morning. They're now under one hour. Jerome: (54:55) So, please the testing stations, the larger ones are open til at least eight o'clock. We've extended operating hours at over 13 of our testing stations. And we continue to provide dedicated testing facilities at some of those key exposure sites Speaker 1: (55:06) What about the potential link between Al-Taqwa and the [traffic column 00:55:11]. Jerome: (55:13) Yeah, we've heard a story around allegations of illegal parties. We've we've tested those with all the individuals in these outbreaks. There's no evidence forthcoming. There's no indication that any such event happened. Jerome: (55:27) We'll continue those explorations of course, but with nothing else to comment on that point. Rachel: (55:32) Do you have any idea with regards to [inaudible 00:55:35]. Jerome: (55:39) Yeah, good question, Rachel. Jerome: (55:41) We believe at this point that the female, the staff member at Al-Taqwa, was slightly earlier in her infectious period than the man that she lives with. We're obviously very keen to understand, but given that their relatives in the other household are also positive, the timing of that. So, we are doing ongoing Genomix and also we'll check to see what the phasing of that transition might have been. Rachel: (56:02) No indication that teacher has links to the [inaudible 00:56:06]? Jerome: (56:07) No, Julie. Not at this point. Jerome: (56:07) Again, we've not established any epidemiological link between the teacher or between that Hobsons Bay cluster and any of these other larger outbreaks that we've seen recently again. Jerome: (56:19) But those conversations continue. We now have five positive cases who are going through repeated interviews and discussions. People are sharing a lot of information. We're going through all of their movements. And of course, we're checking back with other associated people or other people who've been in those geographies and some of those facilities in the previous outbreak. Rachel: (56:36) If I've got that right, you're saying that the unlinked case from up in north and also the football house, both visitors are the house mates? Jerome: (56:46) Our understanding at this point in time is that there has been some household to household contact. Again, we haven't confirmed exactly where and when people saw each other, but we do believe there's been some contact. Speaker 19: (56:54) Have the newly tracked down relatives for the city of Marbilong case visited? Are they then tested? Jerome: (56:59) Those tests have been done tonight. And we're waiting for results over night. Speaker 19: (57:04) Are they red zone holders or were they in household quarantine? Jerome: (57:08) Don't know if I can level. We'll look. Jerome: (57:08) At this point in time with all due respect, there's a number of lines of investigation that we're following through. This is one of a number of lines. We'll continue to explore that and all the other options as well. Speaker 20: (57:19) [inaudible 00:57:19]. Jerome: (57:33) Yeah, that's right. Both cases for Hobsons Bay have infectious periods that we've been very conservative around. As you would expect us to be with Delta, we've taken it all the way back to the 28th of July. Speaker 20: (57:46) Is it possible they'd been exposed earlier than- Jerome: (57:47) Could have been. I can go back to that if you need. Dan Andrews: (57:51) Just for the time, just in relation to the New South Wales HQ, I hope that isn't the case. No one's barracking for that outcome, but it is one of the lines of inquiry we're running into ground. Hopefully it comes to nothing. Dan Andrews: (58:04) And we'll know once we get tests Speaker 1: (58:06) In a lot of the ties, were they in New South Wales for the hotel quarantine or are they- Dan Andrews: (58:12) No, no. They were in New South Wales hotel quarantine. They were cleared out of that. They came to Melbourne. And they've had contact we believe with one of the positive cases. Speaker 1: (58:18) How many days after that? Dan Andrews: (58:20) We're not certain, so I think the best thing to do is, let's... Dan Andrews: (58:23) And look, I mentioned it simply because it is a line of inquiry. You asked me about lines of inquiry, and I wouldn't want you to think that I wasn't answering you fully. Hopefully, it comes to nothing and we'll know that. Dan Andrews: (58:33) And believe me, if it does, I'll be the first to say so once we get the test back. Genomics will also help us have a clearer sense of exactly where this has come from. No one's alleging anyone's done anything wrong in New South Wales or anything like that, but that's just the way you asked me the question and I answered it. Dan Andrews: (58:48) Beyond that, if you can help us get that information out about payments, that'd be a great help. Dan Andrews: (58:54) And if I can just again, for those who are watching live, get tested as soon as you have symptoms. Don't wait an hour, let alone three or four days. Please get tested as soon as you have symptoms. We will protect and support you. And in doing so, you will protect and support all of us. Dan Andrews: (59:12) These next few days will be very tough, but we've done it before and we can do it again. That's what we're made of. We are very tough in Victoria. We will get this job done, but only if we all play our part, including you guys. Dan Andrews: (59:25) Thank you very much. Cheers.