The Centralian Advocate Fri 28 May 2021
Centralian Advocate; NewspaperNT
2021-05-28
Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Alice Springs; Tennant Creek (N.T.) -- Newspapers; Alice Springs (N.T.) -- Newspapers; Australia, Central -- Newspapers
News Corp Australia
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/838630
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/838631
FRIDAY MAY 28 2021 NEWS 09 V1 - NTNE01Z01MA Victorians have stripped shops bare. Picture: Supplied PANICKED shoppers are stripping supermarket shelves across Melbourne and regional Victoria as people stock up on supplies hours before the state heads into its fourth major lockdown in 12 months. Shoppers observed bare shelves in some stores moments after Acting Premier James Merlino on Thursday morning declared a seven-day lockdown for Victoria starting from 11.59pm on Thursday. Debbie Brewer said she noticed a lack of toilet paper, tissues and longlife milk at Woolworths in Eltham. Just before noon, a shopper had just left Cranbourne Woolworths when the panic buying had already commenced. If we shop as normal there is enough for everyone. We have been through this before, the shopper said. The panic buying was also hitting supermarkets in regional Victoria, with shoppers snapping photos of bare shelves and queues of people waiting to check out. Kathy Voyer described the scenes in Traralgon as a joke. From 11.59pm Thursday, Victorians can only leave home for five reasons. These include shopping for necessary goods and services, authorised work or permitted education, exercise, care giving and medical reasons and to get vaccinated. ANTHONY PIOVESAN SHOPPERS BACK IN PANIC MODE Vic turns down help VICTORIA has rejected offers for additional contract tracing help and extra personal protective equipment, the countrys top doctor says. Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the state had been declared a commonwealth hot spot, meaning it was eligible for additional support. Weve offered personal protective equipment to Victoria, Professor Kelly said. They dont need any more at the moment they have plenty. Professor Kelly also said it had offered additional help with contract tracing. Weve also offered support with the contract tracing if that was needed. Currently weve been told that that isnt the case, Professor Kelly said. It comes as he urged Victorians and Australians to go out and get the vaccine to protect their loved ones and the rest of the community. He also said the state government did the right thing when it imposed the circuitbreaker lockdown. It is clear there has been a super-spreading event from one of the members of the current cluster, especially in the workplace, that points to high risk at this time in terms of transmission through the community. But he labelled hotel quarantine as essentially safe, despite the latest breach. Its quite clear that aerosols are playing a part to this and so each of the states that have looked at these directly and specifically have made particular changes to their ar rangements, theyve all been a little bit different but that reflects their own hotels and hotel quarantine systems, the countrys top doctor said. He also said in Australia the variant strains were still controllable even if they were up to 50 per cent more transmissible. If the numbers remain small, you can still get on top of it, Professor Kelly said. Meanwhile, Australias vaccine logistic boss Commodore Eric Young said 110,000 doses were administered na tionwide yesterday with more than 30,000 in Victoria. He said 20,000 one-off AstraZeneca doses were delivered on Thursday in the state and another 20,000 would be delivered on Tuesday. Another 70,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine would be going to the state hubs, Commodore Young said. It comes as Victorias state government announced it was widening the vaccine program to include those aged between 40 to 49. CAROLINE SCHELLE AS Victoria is plunged into another lockdown, there are fears it will cause a devastating blow to retailers and consumer and business confidence. More than a billion dollars of trade is tipped to be lost during the states seven-day lockdown, which starts at 11:59pm on Thursday, according to Australian Retailers Association (ARA) chief Paul Zahra. He said the association supported the government's response to keep residents safe but could not ignore the significant impact the lockdown would bring to the CBD and small businesses. Victorians have been to hell and back over the past year or so, and just when we thought the worst of Covid was behind us, its reared its head again mid-year, Mr Zahra said. Businesses no longer have JobKeeper support payments available to them, and Victorian small businesses in particular will be under significant stress this is a huge blow to their confidence. He reminded the community that click and collect as well as home delivery options were available for consumers to continue buying goods while at home. The ARA has called for vaccinations to be bolstered, improved contact tracing as well as targeted support to continue for Melbournes CBD and small business. Chapel Street Precinct general manager Chrissie Maus said the sector needed urgent government support that should have been announced alongside the decision for another lockdown. Retailers to face another $1bn blow EMILY COSENZA Quality Painting Ph: 08 8932 7378 & A/H: 0401 693 549 www.darwinargospainting.com.au DARWIN ARGOS PAINTING Local Darwin Local Darwin BusinessBusiness 40 Years Meet John & Your Painting Team Interior & Exterior Open 7 days a week - 8am - 5pm 35 Arnhem Hwy, McMinns Lagoon 8988 1351 Our friendly staff have extensive landscaping and plant knowledge! Arnhe-rvi Nv~e,y-~ The home of tropical plants