Fascist tyranny alive and well in Australia, just amazing that the people don't rise up!
Coronavirus: Victoria facing years of mandatory masks and restrictions
AUGUST 11, 2020
Victoria’s “end game” with COVID-19 no longer includes eliminating the virus but a permanent change to daily life for years.
Victoria’s “endgame” with COVID-19 no longer includes elimination and mandatory mask wearing is likely to remain a permanent feature of daily life for years until a vaccine is found for the killer virus.
In disturbing new evidence to the state’s inquiry into the coronavirus second wave outbreak in Victoria, the Premier Dan Andrews has warned it’s a feature of outbreaks around the world that the second phase of infections is often more deadly than the first.
When asked what the “endgame” of the extreme restrictions were the state’s chief health officer Brett Sutton also confirmed it was suppression, rather than elimination and it could be a battle that lasts for years.
He also signalled that public mask wearing would have to remain as a “baseline” restriction for a long time.
“There may be a path that has very, very low case numbers with a kind of baseline level restrictions, universal mark wearing, changed human behaviours very broadly applied across the population that can keep numbers low,” Professor Sutton said.
“But I think it always comes with the danger that it can re-emerge and take off again.”
Professor Sutton conceded masks were imperfect, but that given the level of community transmission it was a case of doing whatever they could do to bring cases down.
“Although imperfect, cloth masks worn broadly in the community can have a significant effect,’’ he said.
“Although it doesn’t present as a game-changer, we were really looking to have whatever interventions that we possibly could in Victoria, especially ones that were relatively low cost and low impost, compared to taking more significant measures.”
In terms of when masks would no longer be required, Professor Sutton said that depended on whether a vaccine can be found.
“I don’t think that it will be available in the next six months, but I do think there’s a very very good chance that it will be available within the next 12 to 18 months,’’ Mr Sutton said.
Mr Andrews also suggested that the goal of elimination was not a real option, despite being raised as the only way to return to normal life.
“The endpoint is to lower numbers and get numbers as low as possible so that we can have confidence that we can manage the inevitable outbreaks that will occur, and the inevitable transmission that we will see,’’ he said.
“But again, if you opened up now … there is no flattening of the curve, there’s no moderate outcome, it takes off like a bushfire, and you’ve got no chance of putting it out.”
Speaking at a press conference shortly after his grilling at the inquiry, the Premier said he could not guarantee that the current restrictions will work within the six week time frame.
“It’ll only have the maximum chance of working in six weeks if everybody plays their part,” he said.
“That’s why we’re so grateful the vast majority of people are. Your point about increased compliance, to more people at home, more people doing the right thing, so less people doing the wrong thing, that’s my sense of it.”
https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/coronavirus-victoria-facing-years-of-mandatory-masks-and-restrictions/news-story/7b2b9fccb48f9c0b5c62af3769d7c3c5