He suggested plans to travel to Brisbane be postpone. “This virus moves so fast, so rapidly and we have to follow the advice and be as risk-averse as we have been.“We simply can’t allow outbreaks. We can’t do anything that would make it more likely that we finish up with community transmission.”Chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said the situation in Greater Brisbane was “looking good”. “There has really been no community transmission beyond the cleaner and her partner,” he told reporters on Saturday. “There has been extensive testing of the many close contacts of those who had already left hotel quarantine.”Prof Sutton said travellers who developed COVID-19 symptoms after receiving a negative result should be retested. He added there was no change to borders restrictions with Greater Sydney because there were still cases of community transmission being recorded. Mr Andrews said he was “hopeful” an announcement would be made in a couple of days and would be based on health advice. There were no new cases of coronavirus recorded across Victoria on Saturday as more than 14,900 people were tested in the past 24 hours.Three cases were detected in the state’s hotel quarantine.There are 26 active cases of COVID-19 across the state. DEGRAVES ST SET FOR TRANSFORMATIONMelbourne laneway traders have joined forces to ramp up business, as scores of city workers prepare to return to their offices on Monday. Degraves Street traders have permission to close the iconic CBD laneway from 10am to 9pm daily to create a mall-like marketplace.Lost and Found bar and United Backpackers manager Alex Hill said traders in the once-thriving street had suffered a massive downturn because of COVID lockdowns and restrictions.“For me it’s been a 90 per cent downturn and for most of the retailers 80 per cent down … I’d be hard pressed to nominate anyone who has suffered less than a 70 per cent drop in revenue in this part of the city,” he said.Mr Hill said while CBD office workers had been based at home — interstate and international tourists had also all but disappeared from the city centre.Degraves St businesses had additionally suffered because of CBD roadworks, which Mr Hill said “made us a bit invisible”.“It’s been a triple-whammy really for us … our whole goal is to increase visitation to this part of the city. “Degraves St was the key to the city just a year ago and we are trying to reignite it again and get the buzz back into this part of iconic Melbourne.
“We really haven’t been able to use the southern-end of Degraves St at all until now, but we will be turning it into an outdoor market space to draw people back, as long as the weather allows,” he said.The informal alliance of Degraves St traders is now in the process of becoming formalised to create the Flinders Quarter Traders Association. The Degraves St revival would initially involve hospitality businesses, but would soon expand to see retailers and other traders selling their wares outside in an alfresco market-like atmosphere. News of the Degraves marketplace comes as thousands of CBD workers prepare to head back to the offices on Monday, with mask rules easing on Sunday.Premier Daniel Andrews said 50 per cent of private sector workers and 25 per cent of public servants could return to their offices.A further increase was hoped for late-February but would be subject to ongoing public health advice.Many city office workers have been based at home since March 2020.
“While many Victorians will be happy to see this easing of restrictions it’s vital workplaces maintain and enforce their COVIDSafe plans to protect staff and the broader community,” Mr Andrews said.Mask rules will return to what they were pre-Christmas from 11.59pm on Sunday.Masks will only be mandatory on domestic flights, at airports, in hospitals, on public transport, in ride shares or taxis, in commercial passenger vehicles, at supermarkets and other large indoor retail locations, including shopping centres.They will not be mandatory in offices but the government had advised masks should be carried by Victorians whenever they leave home and wear one in all situations where physical distancing is not possible.Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the return to work would be a huge boost for city businesses and a ‘festive’ and ‘vibrant’ Degraves St was well-positioned to benefit throughout January.“We are committed to opening up spaces outside for businesses to increase trade and help bring back the buzz to our city,” Cr Capp said.“There will be around a dozen retail and hospitality outlets taking part along the southern end of Degraves Street, and the laneway will be closed to traffic during this time.”Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Dugald Murray said returning office workers should make concerted efforts to support retailers, restaurants, cafes and bars ‘that have been doing it tough for so long’.NEW CHANGE TO WA BORDER RULES FOR VICTORIANSWestern Australia’s controlled interstate border will be adjusted on Monday, with Victoria set to become a “low risk” state.Travel from Victoria into WA will be permitted as long as travellers complete a G2G PASS declaration, self-quarantine for 14 days and get tested on day 11.WA currently considers Victoria a “medium risk” state, meaning travellers are not permitted to enter without an exemption.WA health minister Roger Cook said this was a “cautious but sensible” move, which will minimise the risk of COVID-19 entering WA.“We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and once Victoria reaches 28 days of no community transmission we can then consider the next step under our controlled border,” Mr Cook said.
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