Victoria Snap 5 Day Lockdown

At 4.45 pm today, the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews announced that the whole of Victoria would be entering into a 5 day hard and fast lockdown in order to prevent and control the spread of the ‘Delta Variant’ of COVID-19 from 11.59pm tonight, 15^th July to Tuesday 20^th  July 11.59pm.

Under these lockdown restrictions that come into force at midnight tonight there will only be five reasons for Victorians to leave home:

1. 1 person per household to complete shopping for essential items within a 5km radius
2. authorised work or permitted education
3. exercise for up to two hours a day with people from your household within a 5km radius
4. caregiving, compassionate and medical reasons
5. To get vaccinated

Circuit Breaker Breakdown

• There are to be no visitors to your home other than an intimate partner.
• Single bubbles will be permitted. If you live alone, you can make a bubble with another person.
• And there’s to be no public gatherings.
• In terms of what remains open, so restaurants, pubs, and cafes can provide takeaway only.
• Essential retail, so supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, banks, bottle shops and pharmacies, other retail stores can provide click and collect.
• Childcare and kinder’s will be open as per the last circuit-breaker lockdown earlier this year.
• Approved professional sporting events will proceed but proceed without crowds.
• Authorised workers and workplaces – in terms of what will be closed or changed, schools will move to remote learning, except for vulnerable children, and children of authorised workers. Higher education will move to remote learning only.
• Community support and recreation, accommodation, but there will be some exemptions that apply.
• Hotels, clubs, TABs and the casino will be closed, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, swimming pools, spas, saunas, indoor and outdoor springs, community venues, drive-in cinemas, amusements parks, creative studios, art galleries and museums, tourism, tours, and transport, and auctions can only happen online.
• In terms of our health settings, aged care facilities: no visitors except for limited reasons.
• In our hospitals, visitors only for end of life, to support a partner during birth, or a parent accompanying a child. In terms of ceremonies, funerals: a maximum of 10 people, plus those running the service.
• Weddings cannot proceed unless end-of-life or deportation reasons apply.
• And religious activities will not proceed other than through broadcast with a maximum of five people.

What does this mean for Building and Construction?

The difference with this Circuit Breaker is Construction has been added as an Authorised Provider and Authorised workers. 

All Hutchies’ Sites remain OPEN. NO WORKER PERMITS REQUIRED.

At this point there is no further information on extra measures that are required such as density quotients (however expect that they will increase to 1 person per 4SQM). I will provide you further information as it comes to light.

We have been here before and no doubt we will again, but the thing that goes unspoken about is the stress and the pressure that these lockdowns bring with them to our everyday work life and our home lives. Please remember that you are not alone, you can pick the phone up and call anyone, anywhere at any time. Hutchies also have a confidential EAP service that is available and the details are attached for your information.

I have also attached the Circuit Breaker Table of Restrictions and the Premier Statement.

If you have any questions or if I can be of assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Candece Frazzica-Kara HSE Manager (VIC)
T 03 9282 9554 | F 03 9681 6977 | m 0411 022 839
E Candece.Frazzica-Kara@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au