Sad warning over 'really difficult' Mother's Day decision
Victoria’s premier has warned residents that the state’s strict coronavirus lockdown will have never-before-seen effects on Mother’s Day festivities.
As of today, most Australian states and territories have begun easing their restrictions, but premier Daniel Andrews is refusing to make any changes for now.
Depending on circumstances, most Australians should be able to visit their mum on May 10 for Mother’s Day.
However, Mother’s Day will look very different for Victorians, Mr Andrews warned.
“Doing the popular thing is not what this job requires, it requires us to make really difficult decisions that are not always popular,” he said during a press conference on Friday morning.
“Sadly we’ve got police heroes being buried in very, very different circumstances to normal, families who can’t spend the final moments of a loved one’s life at their side, holding their hand — lots of things that are very different and this Mother’s Day will be very different to what it has ever been.”
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Mr Andrews urged residents to stay home and keep following the rules after confirming social distancing restrictions will remain in place until at least May 11, when its state of emergency expires.
He said while the state has decreased its number of coronavirus cases, it is still “fragile”.
There were three fresh cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the state on Friday, bringing its total to 1364.
“We saw a spike in numbers a couple of days ago, we've had outbreaks in lots of different settings right across Victoria,” he said.
“We've also had significant community transmission in Victoria as well. With 10 per cent of our cases, we can't track them back to an overseas travellers.
“Not every state is like that. Some states have no community transmission at all,” he said.
In an effort to help Victorians keep entertained while inside, the government has created a website - together.vic.gov.au - showcasing live music and comedy performances by local talent.
It is set to launch on Sunday evening.
Mr Andrews said the project is aimed at making staying home "just that little bit easier", as temperatures across the state plummeted, making outdoors activities unappealing.
"It just makes sense to have in one place, at very high quality, lots of different experiences - a bit of a taste of what people would normally be doing in the cultural capital of our nation," he said.
with AAP
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