Today’s numbers are proof positive, beyond any doubt, that this strategy is working.
This is the lowest daily case number for a very long time and it’s not so long ago that we were reporting not five cases, but 725 cases. So not five cases – 725 cases.
We’ve come a long way. Victorians have given a lot. They have sacrificed a lot. And I am proud and deeply grateful for the work that every single Victorian is doing in partnership with me and a massive team of dedicated workers, dedicated … whether they be in hospital settings, public health teams, people providing industry advice and support, as I’ve just indicated.
We are so close. We are so close to being able to take a really big step. A big step towards that Covid-normal.
What’s incredibly important, and I think that every Victorian knows this, but I am obliged to make this point – we are so, so close, and what’s important now is that everyone keeps following the rules. Keeps doing the right thing.
Keeps making that profound and critical contribution to these numbers getting low and staying low.
Each of us have it within our own … we are all capable.
It’s within our own families.
If we continue to make smart choices, then we will see this thing off.
If, however, any of us, and it can be very small numbers, if we start doing things that we know deep down are not the right thing to do, then we can put at risk everything that we’ve built, everything that Victorians have given.
I don’t want that to happen. And I’m confident that it won’t, because I think that people can see that this is working and all of us can see that we are so, so close to defeating this second wave.
That’s not to say that on October 18 or 19 we can go back to normal, as if it was any October.
It’s a Covid-normal we have to find and I’m very confident that we are making very steady and safe progress towards that goal.
That gives us a summer that is so, so different to just about all of 2020, and that’s something that we’re all aiming towards. So again, I thank every Victorian for the contribution they’re making. These are good numbers.
They are good numbers and we’re so close. We just have to see it through. We have no choice, as difficult as it is to live under these restrictions, albeit with modifications yesterday, for another three weeks.
If we can do it, and I’m confident that we can, we will be able to take big steps in just three weeks.
