Victorian salons are back in lockdown, after the State Government reimposed stage-three restrictions on 10 postcodes across Melbourne until at least July 29.
From 11.59pm on Wednesday (July 1), residents in the following postcodes will be restricted from leaving their home except for essential purposes: 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060, 3064.
The announcement came after Victoria receded 64 new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period, the fourteenth consecutive day of double-digit case increases across the state.
Acknowledging that the stage-three restrictions would come at a high cost to local businesses, including salons, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, “We have all been through that journey, we have all been through that process and we know that at the end of that process we are then able to begin the process of opening up.”
For salons, the lockdown comes after just one month of trading, placing many of them – and their staff – back in a very uncertain situation.
“We were only just starting to see a very, very small light at the end of the tunnel,” said Melinda Trainor, a salon owner from Watergardens, one of the locked down suburbs. “I was only able to bring two staff members back after the last lock down. I have no idea what will happen after this one.”
But the Premier cautioned anyone against ignoring the lockdown order, saying that Victorian Police would be patrolling the suburbs and issuing on-the-spot fines to anyone spotted outside their homes without a valid reason.
“This is what we must do now. If we do not do this now then I won’t be locking down 10 postcodes, I will be locking down all postcodes,” he said. “We need every Victorian family, particularly those in these lockdown postcodes to know and understand that whilst this is deeply inconvenient for you, you are making a massive contribution for the whole state and indeed the whole nation.”
The suburbs in lockdown are below:
3012: Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray
3021: Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans
3032: Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore
3038: Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens
3042: Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie
3046: Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park
3047: Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana
3055: Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West
3060: Fawkner
3064: Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo
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