When an epidemiologist thinks Victoria’s lockdown will end

A Melbourne epidemiologist says she expects Victoria’s lockdown will be extended by at least five days.

Victorians are this morning awaiting details on the extension of the state’s fifth lockdown.

Epidemiologist and head of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at Melbourne University, Professor Nancy Baxter, says it “isn’t going to be a two or three day extension”.

“We’re at least looking at five to seven days,” she told Neil Mitchell.

Professor Baxter says it’s highly unlikely that regional areas will be released from lockdown earlier than their metropolitan counterparts.

She expects the spread at sporting events, which has led to COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria, will “almost certainly” lead to a change in crowd management going forward.

“It looks like these people had closer contact when they were coming into the stadium,” she said.

“If that seems to be where most of the transmission happens then I think we’ll have very different rules about coming and going, and people are going to get a ticketed entry time.”

Press PLAY below to hear how Professor Baxter expects Victoria’s lockdown will progress

COVID-19: Two maps which show why regional Victoria is being treated cautiously