Victoria records 55 new COVID-19 cases and eight deaths as experts say Dan Andrews' 'unrealistic' target numbers to end lockdown are impossible to reach
- Victoria reported 55 new coronavirus infections and eight deaths on Tuesday
- The new figures come after 41 cases were recorded in the state on Monday
- Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled his roadmap out of lockdown on Sunday
Victoria has reported 55 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths as Premier Daniel Andrews is slammed over his 'unrealistic' target to end lockdown.
The additional fatalities recorded on Tuesday take the state's toll to 683 and the national figure to 770.
The new infections come after the state recorded 41 new cases on Monday - its lowest daily figure since June 26.
Mr Andrews unveiled his long-awaited four-step roadmap on Sunday, revealing Melbourne will continue under strict curfew and lockdown until the end of September.
Moving between the stages of the roadmap relies on new infections dropping to five or fewer in one major step, and no new cases for two weeks for the final phase.
Victoria reported 55 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths on Tuesday. Pictured: A delivery driver is seen on Bourke Street in Melbourne on Sunday
Premier Daniel Andrews has been slammed over his 'unrealistic' target to end lockdown
Prime Minister Scott Morrison slammed the state's plan and argued the same standards would put Sydney under curfew.
'The plan that was outlined yesterday, I hope, is a worst-case scenario,' he said on Monday.
'Under the thresholds that have been set in that plan, Sydney would be under curfew now.'
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But Mr Andrews dismissed the comparisons, noting NSW had not experienced the same level of community transmission as Victoria.
'That's not a point of pride, that's just a fact,' he said.
'I've seen this commentary that under our settings, they'd be in lockdown - no they wouldn't, because they've not had the community transmission that we've had.
'We are different.'
Pictured: Two Melburnians sit on the sand and enjoy the sun at St Kilda Beach on Sunday
Pictured: People sit on the State Library lawn during Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown on Sunday
Professor Peter Collignon from the Australian National University, said Victoria's strategy to eliminate COVID-19 is 'not sustainable' and unlikely to be achieved in the timeline set down by the state Premier.
'It's much harder than any other state has tried and secondly, a lot hinges on very good contact tracing and so far Victoria has not been able to do it as good as other States,' he told channel 9's Today show.
'They still don't have quick contact tracing and there is a lot of undefined cases where they don't know where they came from.'
Professor Collignon said that internationally, tougher restrictions have not necessarily resulted in better outcomes.
Places like California, Spain and New Zealand all enforced very strict lockdowns in an attempt to fully eliminate COVID-19, but later suffered a second wave of cases.
'Nobody has achieved that except Taiwan. New Zealand tried but it didn't work. It came back and that is almost inevitable over the next few years unless we have a vaccine that is 90 percent effective,' he said.
Pictured: Bourke Street is empty on Monday as Melbourne continues to struggle through Stage Four lockdown
A woman in a face mask takes her dog for a walk at St Kilda Beach in Melbourne on Sunday
Business leaders are also unimpressed by Victoria's reopening plan.
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell called on the state government to cover the costs of small business closures.
Meanwhile, Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott is demanding the release of modelling that underpins the roadmap.
Mr Andrews said Victoria couldn't afford to bounce in and out of lockdown for the rest of 2020 and potentially all of 2021, but flagged business support was on the way.
'This is about saving lives and it is also about saving livelihoods,' he told ABC TV on Monday night.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there would be no change to the September 28 milestone, when some Melbourne workplaces and schools will reopen if the 14-day case average drops below 50.
But other key dates for the potential easing of restrictions on October 26 and November 23 could be brought forward if the data is close to prescribed thresholds.
Regional Victoria, meanwhile, is on a different timetable and will be able to move to the 'third step' of restrictions soon.
