Group Of 500 Doctors Call For Melbourne Lockdown To End

The Victorian government has been sent an open letter calling for Melbourne's coronavirus-related lockdown to end.

A group of 500 doctors have signed the message, which says Melburnians need to be released from the strict rules forcing them stay at home.

For several months, people in the Victorian capital have been forced to stay within 5kms of their home, only leave for one of the four essential reasons and not stray outside from 8pm till 5am.

The Australian Covid Medical Network wrote: "The current restrictions are unnecessary, disproportionate and must be lifted. The response to the virus will cause more deaths and result in far more negative health effects than the virus itself.

"Many Australian doctors and other health professionals consider the lockdown measures to be disproportionate, unscientific, excessively authoritarian and the cause of widespread suffering for many Victorians.

PA

"Thereby, we Australian Doctors and Health Professionals, in solidarity with thousands of international doctors, call for the cessation of all disproportionate measures that contravene the International Siracusa Principles."

They argue that children and young people are missing out on valuable play time and the state government is focusing on eliminating the coronavirus rather than keeping numbers as low as possible.

The Australian Covid Medical Network adds that the Victorian government should 're-establish the importance of our basic rights and freedoms and reflect deeply on what kind of society we wish to live in'.

However, the open letter hasn't got the backing of the Australian Medical Association.

AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid told 7News: "The absolute worst thing that could possibly happen would be another lockdown and it is important while this lockdown is working - which it clearly is - that it is followed through to achieve the road map the state government has set out."

There were 15 new cases of coronavirus recorded in Victoria since yesterday and no deaths. These new cases have raised the state's 14-day average above 10, which will hinder its ability to move out of restrictions.

The state is seemingly on the precipice of whether it will finish off the second wave of coronavirus infections or whether it will continue to have small outbreaks.

Step Three will only be allowed if the 14-day rolling average dips below five.

Topics: News, Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie