The ‘R Tsar’ explains how lockdown has impacted Victoria’s COVID-19 reproduction rate

New research has revealed Victoria’s second Stage 3 lockdown considerably reduced the spread of COVID-19.

The study out of the Burnet Institute found that before Stage 3, the coronavirus reproduction rate surged to almost two, it is not just over one.

On that data, the lockdown likely saved tens of thousands of people from contracting the virus.

Director and CEO of the Burnet Institute, Brendan Crabb, dubbed the ‘R Tsar’ by Ross and Russel, explained what the reproduction rate means.

“It’s basically a measure of how many people an infected person transmits to,” he said.

“In Victoria, for a while there in June, we were going at one person transmitting to almost two people.

“That’s why things were getting out of hand.

“Now it’s just over one.

“It needs to be under one, and preferably a lot under one.”

Mr Crabb said a weekly R rate update to the public would be “valuable”.

Press PLAY below for the full interview with the R Tsar.