Update 16: 8 July 2020
Australian Industrial Systems Institute’s main priority is the health and safety of all at the Institute.
We note and bring to our Institute’s attention the announcement by the Victorian Premier on Tuesday 7 July 2020 that Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will return to Stage 3 SAY AT HOME RESTRICTIONS from 11.59pm Wednesday 8 July 2020.
Please note that the Institute is reviewing its current activity, especially given enrolment week this week and Semester 2 scheduling, along with return to campus plans to ensure that we continue to operate in line with the latest government advice.
The Australian Industrial Systems Institute continues to adhere to the advice of the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Australian Government, the Victorian Government and health experts. Our number one priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our Institute community and we are doing everything that is in our power to reduce the rates of infection in the community.
Given the current and new restrictions imposed, Australian Industrial Systems Institute will continue to operate remotely overall for the six week lock down period.
All face-to-face learning and teaching activity on IIA campuses has been suspended until further notice. A gradual and phased return to campus was currently underway, but has now needed to be reviewed given the governmental authorities further restrictions and suburb lockdowns – in particular from suburbs which affect a good number of our students.
We are prioritising the transition back to campus of essential practical based learning activities, but these too will need to be postponed yet again until such times as restrictions are lifted by the authorities.
Please note that the institute will inform each student when the return of practical activities can recommence. In the meantime, all students are to take advantage of the one to one trainer consultations and indeed the Work Placement assessments that can also be undertaken for student who are working in their field.
Our trainers are busy attending workplaces to verify the work placement assessments where those have been provided. Please email admissions for further information through a completed Student Request Form for either trainer consultations or Work Placement Assessment Records that need to be completed.
All lectures and tutorials will be delivered remotely in Semester 2, with some campus access available by previously scheduled appointments only. Any changes to this notification will be advised both directly to students and via this website information channel.
Students are reminded that in order to remain current in Semester 2, re-enrolment must take place from the 6th July 2020 to 10 July 2020. This is to be done remotely as previously advised. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. A reminder also that should students require extensions to their courses a Student Request Form needs to be submitted to admissions for this assistance to be provided.
Premier of Victoria Announcement, 7 July 2020
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-07/melbourne-lockdown-daniel-andrews-key-points/12431708
“Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will re-enter lockdown from Wednesday.”
“We’re on the cusp of something very, very bad if we don’t take these steps today,” he said.
Mr Andrews was clear that he did not want to impose these lockdowns again, but the alternatives were just too dangerous.
“This is challenging. I get it. I know that. I understand it. I didn’t want to be in this position. No Victorian does,” he said.
“Let’s not see it as simply an inconvenience. It’s much more than that. It’s a pandemic. And it will kill thousands of people if it gets completely away from us.
“That will be more than inconvenient. It will be tragic. We don’t want that.”
Mr Andrews said there would be some differences to this stay-at-home order compared to the one imposed on Victorians earlier this year.
“You will be able to go out to go to work if you have to, to go shopping for the things you need when you need them, to study, to provide care or to get care,” he said.
“Daily exercise will be treated differently. You can’t leave metropolitan Melbourne to get your daily exercise.
“There’s a number, on the advice of the chief health officer, of very low public health risk activities that will be permitted that were not permitted last time, but the most important point to make around exercise is that you can’t be going on a four-hour bushwalk hundreds of kilometres away from Melbourne.”
Victoria has to ‘be realistic about the circumstances’
Mr Andrews said there was no doubt today’s announcement was tough to swallow, but it was necessary.
“If we were to fail to take those steps, then it won’t be a couple of hundred cases per day, it will be many more than that and spiral well and truly out of control,” he said.
“‘Cusp of a second wave’, ‘second wave’, what people want to call this is entirely irrelevant.”
He said not taking significant action now would mean thousands more cases, and most likely more deaths.
“We have to be realistic about the circumstances that we confront. We have to be clear with each other that this is not over,” he said.
“And pretending that it is because we all want it to be over is not the answer. It is indeed part of the problem.”
“I think a sense of complacency has crept into us as we let our frustrations get the better of us.
“I think that each of us know someone who has not been following the rules as well as they should have. I think each of us know that we’ve got no choice but to take these very, very difficult steps.”
The timing is crucial
These stay-at-home orders will come into effect at 11:59pm on July 8 and are set to last for six weeks.
Mr Andrews said there was not much chance of this latest round of restrictions ending early, even if cases got under control before the end date.
“I want to be clear with you. We could have gone for a shorter period,” he said.
“Three weeks is not enough data. The life cycle of this virus is about the 14-day period. The six weeks means we have three of those full cycles.
“If you are starting to see stability in low numbers, we’d have much greater confidence those are real numbers, rather than a false sense that the virus was not there anymore or at such low levels that a suppression strategy would be able to work.”
Metro residents shouldn’t be travelling to regional Victoria
Mr Andrews said the number of cases in Mitchell Shire was concerning, and it was crucial the virus did not spread further into regional areas.
“Regional Victoria has very, very few cases and vast parts of regional Victoria have no cases. This is designed to keep it that way,” he said.
“I hope very soon to be able to be before you again talking about further easing of restrictions in regional Victoria. That’s not for today. I do hope that is quite soon.
“And we’ll only be able to achieve that if we continue to contain within metropolitan Melbourne and not see large outbreaks or additional cases in regional Victoria.”
The Premier was clear that now was not the time for people to be travelling to regional areas — and the Defence Force would be on the ground helping to ensure that.
“I’ll appeal to Victorians, don’t for a moment think that you could flout these rules and travel into country Victoria,” he said.
“There will be every chance you’ll be stopped and asked. If you don’t have a lawful excuse, then there are significant penalties that will apply.”
For people who do live in regional Victoria, not much of today’s announcement applies to you.
“There’s no change to the rules in regional Victoria but there are still rules and they need to be followed,” the Premier said.
What is Metropolitan Melbourne?
Areas that will be affected by the new lockdown restrictions are (in alphabetical order):
Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Mitchell Shire, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra Ranges, Yarra
People in these areas can only leave their homes for the purposes of:
Shopping for food and essential supplies
Medical care and caregiving
Exercise and recreation (but they cannot leave the restricted areas for this)
Study and work if it cannot be done from home
There will only be three reasons to cross the border into these areas:
Shopping for food and essential supplies
Medical care and caregiving
Study and work if it cannot be done from home