Victoria has to avoid a third wave, and if the public health advice is that restrictions are required to do that, then we have to accept that they are necessary. However, Victorian businesses cannot and should not keep paying the price for the shortcomings in Victoria’s hotel quarantine system.

For more information on what the today’s announcement means for your business, please read our explainer article.

This weekend was slated to be one of the busiest for some time, with the Australian Open and other sporting events, Valentine’s Day, weddings and functions planned. Business will once again be asked to absorb the cost of stock losses, while thousands of Victorians won’t be able to work. It’s another massive blow to Victoria’s economy which was just starting to get back on its feet. The Chamber team is in discussions with the Government on support measures. I’ll have more to say on that soon.

The new mutant COVID-19 strain is clearly posing new challenges and Victoria has to respond accordingly. The hotel quarantine system needs an urgent redesign. There are a range of solutions that should be on the table, and Australia should be getting the best and brightest minds on to this task immediately.

The Victorian Chamber believes that the hotel quarantine system needs to be in a continuous state of evolution. Until an effective vaccine is rolled out globally, quarantine is Victoria’s most important defence against devastating local outbreaks. It is up to the Federal and State Governments to ensure that the quarantine system is constantly under review and when changes are needed, they are quickly implemented.

The latest restrictions come in just before Victorian Parliament was due to reconvene on Monday to deal with the extension of the state of emergency. The state of emergency aligns us with all other Australian states and enables us to operate hotel quarantine. The Chamber supports the 12-month extension because it provides certainty and enables the government to focus its efforts and attention on containing COVID-19 and the vaccination rollout, scheduled to commence this month.

We are continuing to work with members and government to understand business concerns, barriers to growth, and solutions that support a recovery that prioritises the health and well-being of the workforce, the community and the economy. Next week, I will be hosting a webinar with the Victorian team responsible for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout including a live audience Q&A. You can register on our website now and we will have more details available next week.

Let’s stay positive and stay hopeful. Stay safe this weekend, and then let’s get back to work on our recovery when we get this latest cluster under control.

Regards,
Paul.