HALFWAY through Victoria's circuit breaker five-day lockdown, the state is on track to reopen as planned.
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Yesterday Premier Daniel Andrews said COVID-19 case numbers in Melbourne were pleasing, putting the state in a strong position to reopen on Thursday.
It is a welcome sign after the snap lockdown signalled a fraught start to the weekend.
North East hospitality venues struck out losing Valentine's Day trade on Sunday, Victoria returned to distance education yesterday and non-essential workers south of the border had to stay put under tougher new restrictions.
With no active COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria, it's a bitter pill to swallow.
Victorian MPs Bill Tilley and Tim Quilty have condemned the statewide lockdown, the former calling it "a farce".
While border residents have been once again frustrated by city-centric decision-making, they have continued to rally for the greater good.
That generous act shows us we really are, in fact, one community.
Master Builders Victoria said while the situation was "incredibly disappointing", members should follow the regulations to help ensure the five-day lockdown was not extended beyond Thursday.
In another COVID casualty, Friday's scheduled Super Rugby trial match between Melbourne Rebels and Brumbies (ACT) on the Border was cancelled yesterday.
The teams were set to christen the redeveloped Lavington Sportsground Oval, but Victoria's snap lockdown forced the Rebels to relocate to Canberra on Friday.
Finally, the first doses of the Pfizer jab arrived in Sydney yesterday, allowing Australia's coronavirus vaccine rollout to begin next week. All things being equal, the Victorian lockdown will be lifted.
