Dan Andrews has announced that Victoria will likely extend its State of Emergency by 18 months.
The Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 only allows a State of Emergency to operate for six months, but the premier has revealed that motions are being made to extend it. This will alow the state to ensure coronavirus restrictions such as mandatory face masks and strict lockdowns can continue to be implemented statewide.
“It is not an unlimited extension, it is nothing more than a recognition that this virus won’t be over on September 30,” the premier said today in a press conference.
“I would love nothing more for there to be no need for any rules on September 14, but I don’t think that is the reality.”
He continued, “That is the legal instrument that allows rules about face masks, about COVID safe work plans in workplaces large and small, that is the legal instrument that sits behind density limits in pubs and cafes and restaurants.
“We will extend the state of emergency provisions within the public health and well-being act for a maximum of a further 12 months.”
Mr Andrews shared that his decision to ask parliament to extend restrictions is about “protecting everyone” in Victoria.
“So, we simply can’t have those important rules and the legal framework that sits behind them, we cannot have that end on the 13 September, because this will not have ended by the 13th of next month.
“So that means it will be a total of 18 months. The six months we have already been through plus a further 12 months.”
The current state of emergency was due to expire on September 13th.
He continued, “this is nothing more or less than a logical extension in time, changing the law of the state to ensure it is equal to the challenge of state faces.”
Victoria recorded its lowest number of new cases in seven weeks on Monday, with 116 new cases. The state also recorded 15 deaths, bringing the states total death toll to 430 and the national figure to 517.
