By Dr Michelle Natividad Bautista, MBBS, Honours, FANZCA
Congratulations to the legends of Melbourne! 5 new cases overnight. Woooohooooo! Victorians, you are amazing!
Despite the sacrifices, the hardships, the loss, the tears (and the iso calories), we can start looking forward to a brighter tomorrow.
Though the recovery roadmap initially seemed so far fetched, now, we can almost grasp it! October 19… 20 days and counting!
Victorians, we did this! And though so many were skeptical about our goals 8 weeks ago, we are actually AHEAD of schedule and doing better than the modelling!
But still please stay vigilant, stay on course, keep doing what you’re doing and we can all look forward to a fabulous freedom ahead!
We are Melbournians. We’re bloody resilient!
Okay, legends, the 2 week rolling average of cases is now 20.3 for metro Melbourne. Who would have thought that was possible in 8 weeks? (Since our second wave).
Still no shopping, or family visits or indoor gatherings or restaurants etc, but all that can be only 20 days away, if we keep on track.
Currently, most cases are spread within families because people don’t practice social distancing/masks/hand hygiene/deep cleaning within family gatherings. So please, no family gatherings for now. It will happen, very soon.
But we all need to work together towards a common goal. Easing of restrictions for all. We can do this!
From today:
* No more curfew
* 5km radius still applies for now.
* Prep to year 6 will return to onsite learning from the 12th of October.
* Childcare opens to all.
* 127,000 workers will return to various industries, all of those workplaces will be under a Covid safe plan.
* VCS and Vcal students will return from October 5th for assessments, 12 of October in class.
* 5 people from 2 households can gather together in a PUBLIC outdoor space, NOT INSIDE.
* The limit of 1 person from each household going shopping once a day has been lifted. Please still just go when you need to.
* People can now be visited at hospital for 2 hours once a day by one person. Anyone under 18 has no time limit.
* In terms of religious activity, 5 people and 1 religious leader can now meet outside.
* Weddings can now happen with a limit of 5 people.
* Tennis clubs, bowls clubs or anything inside are still shut.
* Outdoor exercise such as hiking and fishing is allowed but still within the 5k radius and for a max of 2 hours.
* For people going to work, you can now exercise within 5kms of your work. You must carry your work permit.
* Face shields are no longer allowed by themselves. You must wear a mask under the shield.
The 3rd step and 4th step of easing of restrictions has been brought forward to the 19th of October, that’s only 3 weeks away! The decisions will now be driven by case numbers.
Regardless of our concerns with various aspects of the pandemic response, I’m glad we have leaders (state and national) that listen to medical and scientific advice. This is bloody fantastic everyone. We are so close to winning this battle! Let’s hang in there.
We’re on the home stretch. A few more days! We can do this!
Dr. Natividad works at multiple hospitals both in public and private in Melbourne. She is an anaesthetist called to help and manage deteriorating COVID-19 patients, or those with cardio-respiratory arrests requiring resuscitation, intubations and ventilations in the wards, emergency departments, on top of anaesthetising patients undergoing emergency surgery.
Dr. Natividad completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of surgery 1999, with Honours at Monash University. She finished her anaesthesia training 2007, completing her examinations with merit.
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