Weekly COVID news at a glance

1  Restrictions easing is on hold in VIC

Victoria’s plan to further ease restrictions will be placed on pause as the state closes its borders this week to several other states and territories dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the nation was in a precarious position and that there would be no further easing of restrictions for at least another week.

Mr Foley made the announcement on Wednesday following a confirmed community transmission case for Victoria, who was a known primary contact and who had isolated during their infectious period. He said that with 12 million Australians currently under some form of lockdown due to multiple outbreaks, the advice of health officials was to keep current restrictions and rules in place for the next seven days.

2  Exemption for late-night liquor and events licenses

Inner-city municipalities of Melbourne, Port Phillip, Yarra and Stonnington will continue with freeze guidelines on new late-night liquor licenses but new exemption criteria are available. This is intended to help venues recover from the effects of the pandemic and to reinvigorate the night-time economy. Venues wanting to trade past 1 am can now apply if they meet certain exemption criteria.

From July 1, the maximum number of patrons in exempt late-night live music venues will be increased from 500 to 1000. Major event licenses where all local government authority approvals have been granted are exempt. Cultural, live music, charity or tourist events will no longer have to qualify as significant or major to apply for an exemption.

3  The trans-Tasman bubble partially resume

The trans-Tasman travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia is set to partially reopen. New Zealand paused the quarantine free travel bubble just over a week ago in response to new cases in New South Wales and the Northern Territory. 

From Monday, those in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and ACT can travel to New Zealand freely, with evidence of a negative pre-departure test with 72 hours of boarding. 

However, two states still off the cards – Queensland and New South Wales – are two of the most important to the business. Other businesses were relieved the bubble was partially reopening too.

4  Get tested if travelled to these areas

Victorians returning from school holidays spent in interstate red and orange permit zones are being reminded to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result. 

Victorians who have been in red zones can travel home but must quarantine for 14 days on arrival and non-residents are not allowed in from red zones without an exemption. COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said on the weekend there had been approximately 48-thousand people enter Victoria on orange zone permits, and more than 13-thousand Victorians had come home on red zone permits.

Victoria has now downgraded Darwin and Alice Springs from red zones to orange zones, along with parts of Queensland and all of rural New South Wales.

5  31M for handling the overcrowding

Hundreds of public housing residents who have been identified as most at risk for COVID-19 have been offered the opportunity to relocate, as part of a program to prevent overcrowding. The program comes from the Victorian government, who have dedicated over 31 million dollars to the effort.

The voluntary program was offered to more than four hundred residents of high-rise public housing, who were assessed as being at greatest risk from coronavirus, with 180 currently relocated to suitable properties.

The program prioritised moving families experiencing overcrowding or with serious medical issues to private rental accommodation. The program ended in May, but the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing said they were still working to find longer term accommodation for households who have not yet relocated. 

6  How the pandemic influences the youngs

A report, due to be released next month, has been compiled on the predicted impact of COVID-19 on young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.

The report has been put together by the not-for profit organisation Centre for Multicultural Youth which was founded 30 years ago to support young migrants. It will be the first of its kind and focuses specifically on those who have recently arrived in Victoria.   

After interviewing 40 youth and multicultural sector leaders and some young migrants, the report found that the pandemic has ‘severely disrupted’ the settlement experience for many. Key issues from the report include employment, education and mental health concerns.