WANGARATTA citizens have every right to feel their city's waste has been used as a convenient reason for regional Victoria being locked down with Melbourne.
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"(The) test has pinged, if you like, firstly positive, then it went negative and now it has gone positive again," Mr Andrews said.
But the state Labor leader was wrong, Wangaratta had one positive test in recent times and that was July 30 and all subsequent samples this week have produced negative readings.
Mr Andrews did not front the media on Friday after Wangaratta mayor Dean Rees pointed out his city had received the COVID all-clear on its waste.
A straight answer did not emerge, instead Mr Foley downplayed the import of Mr Andrews' citing of Wangaratta waste.
"What it was is part of the rich tapestry of the public health information that is delivered," Mr Foley said.
Huh? Rich tapestry, more like weaving together a narrative to make it appear as though the need to shut up rural Victoria was more urgent than reality showed.
This was overreach by the Premier and a reflection of Mr Andrews' approach that sees Tallangatta residents treated the same as those in Truganina where Melbourne's latest COVID outbreak began.
The upshot is that he has undermined his own credibility and given the impression Wangaratta is a COVID hotspot when it has been a desert for virus cases, just like the rest of the North East.
Nevertheless, Mr Andrews did apologise when asked about his comments at a media conference on Saturday.
Although belated at least it was made, but what would be more welcome is a more nuanced policy towards regions without COVID.
