As speculation continues over the possibility of tougher stage 4 Covid-19 restrictions being introduced in Melbourne, industry group The Real Media Collective (TRMC) has called on the Victorian government to recognise printing as an essential service.
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| Printers are "an essential service supplier": Kellie Northwood, CEO TRMC |
“Whilst the Premier advised today stage 4 restrictions are not imminent, there has been a lot of media coverage and ongoing three-digit increases of new cases of COVID-19 across Victoria’s hotspot areas,” says Kellie Northwood, CEO TRMC.
“To that end we have drafted a piece to the Premier using our latest Industry Insights data. This outlines the safety protocols our print and distribution members have in place across Victorian sites and will continue to have in place should stage 4 restrictions apply.
“This communication will argue for those print members, who wish to remain open, during a further lockdown will be able to under government approval. We will continue the argument we have submitted to the federal government about being an essential service supplier.”
As Melbourne struggles with rising infection rates, Victoria premier Daniel Andrews has said stage 4 lockdown restrictions will be considered if needed.
There is no detail yet of what a stage 4 lockdown could mean, but under New Zealand’s stage 4 restrictions, which ended in late April, the government shut down all public venues, educational facilities and most businesses.
