The state government has increased the number of fans allowed to take part in the Boxing Day Test, but the number is significantly fewer than in Sydney stadiums.
Cricket fans have won an early Christmas present and the state government has increased the number of participants in the Boxing Day test.
Tourism Minister Martin Pakula announced on Thursday that 30,000 people would be allowed to take part in the game, 5,000 more than expected.
The move took place with the approval of the Victorian health chief Brett Sutton.
While the move has been welcomed by some, calls have been made not to set a cap on the amount to bring Melbourne in line with Sydney, where sports stadiums can run 100 percent with seating capacity.
Nick Hockley, interim chief executive of Cricket Australia, said he couldn’t wait to see 30,000 fans at the MCG for the test every day.
“It will be the first time since the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final that fans will be able to attend a sporting event at the MCG and we are delighted to have so many fans in such a challenging year,” said Victorians Hockley.
“We are very grateful to the Victorian Government and the MCC for putting a lot of hard work into making sure we can receive fans in a safe manner.
Tickets are available from Friday, 3 p.m.
TRAVEL VOUCHERS THAT ARE ROLLED OUT
Victorians are urged to go online on Friday with 40,000 tourism vouchers, which will be given based on availability.
To boost the state’s tourism sector, the first of three rounds of regional vouchers will be launched in Victoria starting December 12th. The online application opens on Friday at 10 a.m.
Families worth $ 200 each have until January 22nd to redeem the incentive.
Pre-booked holidays are also eligible for the voucher.
A second round will be available between January 27th and April 1st.
A third is between April 6th and May 31st.
This applies to regional Victoria as well as to the wine hotspots of Mornington and Yarra Valley.
Click here to learn how to apply for and spend your $ 200 Travel Voucher.
“For the first round, I would expect demand to possibly exceed supply,” said Tourism Minister Martin Pakula.
“That’s why we gave out 120,000 vouchers … (if people) miss the first round. You can of course apply for the second and third installments. “
Individuals must spend $ 400 or more on accommodation or tours and can use the voucher for tours and accommodation.
Felicia Mariani, Head of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, welcomed the detailed announcement.
Ms Mariani said releasing the vouchers in tranches would further stimulate the sector in the off-season when it was most needed.
“Then these kinds of incentives are needed in regional Victoria,” she said.
“It’s also great to expand beyond the lodging sector to include attractions and tours as this is another piece that is missing from other programs.
“So the network is being widened to hopefully encourage higher spending.”
Ms. Mariani said the state government must now address the nascent two-speed economy that divided the regional Victoria and Melbourne.
“We really have to focus on getting Melbourne to shoot because the reality is that we can’t restore Victoria without shooting Melbourne,” she said.
Meanwhile, the state posted another day of zeros, with no new coronavirus cases for the 41st straight day.
MELBOURNE TOURISM TO SLOT WITHOUT IMPORTANT EVENTS
Victoria must get its major events going again or risk further damage to the local tourism industry, the state tourism authority warned.
Felicia Mariani, head of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, said many urban tourism companies continue to work with a skeletal staff, fearful of opening up without certainty at major events, including the Australian Open.
“If we can get major events going, there will be national support,” said Ms. Mariani.
Daniel Andrews said Wednesday that work is being done to increase viewership above the 25 percent capacity first set for this year’s Boxing Day test.
“If we can do better than 25,000 it would be a fantastic result,” he said.
“It would be unwise to assume that it is twice 25,000.
“But even with 25,000 it’s a great symbol for any Victorian … We can have events again.”
Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said Cricket Australia was keen to launch tickets in the next few days.
“This becomes de facto a deadline because they want to know how many tickets they can release.
“Ultimately, it (the crowd) will be in the hands of the chief health officer.”
Ms. Mariani said a $ 24 million travel voucher scheme to promote tourism in regional Victoria is a fantastic initiative to help the regional tourism sector recover.
However, she cautioned that the visitor economy in Victoria could rebound at two speeds.
“We are booming in the regions while Melbourne languishes,” said Ms. Mariani.
“We are only 25 percent occupied in the 37,500 rooms in the greater Melbourne area, at a time of the year when we are normally 75 to 80 percent occupied.
“This is a dire situation and we need to focus on business events, business trips and activities that bring people back to the city.”
There is confusion over the voucher program announced last month. Details on how the program works will be announced.
Frustrated tourism companies say the confusion disrupted year-end bookings.
The program allows Victorians to apply for a $ 200 voucher as long as they spend at least $ 400 on accommodations, attractions or tours in regional Victoria.
Alan McReynolds, owner of Bonnie Doon Lakeside Leisure Resort, said some customers withheld fees in lieu of vouchers.
“We want to work with our customers and think the coupons are a great idea, but nobody knows how they are supposed to work,” he said.
Shadow Tourism Secretary Cindy McLeish said Victorian tourism companies are desperate to get back in business.
“All Daniel Andrews has to offer tourism companies are empty promises,” she said.
“The Victorians are very interested in spending money in our local communities, but have not given specific details on how it will work.”
HOSPITALS SHOULD INCREASE VISITOR NUMBERS
Victorian hospitals are urged to relax restrictions and put patients in “Christmas cheer” ahead of the holiday season if the state continues its COVID-free run.
The city’s largest hospitals remain cautious and have further capped visitor numbers despite the government lifting official restrictions.
The move of hospitals and clinics to implement their own rules was taken to protect families should cases flare up again.
After 40 days with no coronavirus case in Victoria, hospitals such as the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), Alfred and Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) are asked to reconsider within reasonable limits if deemed safe.
“The reason these restrictions are important is because safety comes first,” said Stephen Mason, executive director of the Australian Patients Association.
“(But) we have been saying for some time that restrictions should sensibly be relaxed on a case-by-case basis.”
Currently, most Melbourne hospitals are limited to two people during certain hours.
Two visitors are allowed in the Alfred for a maximum of one hour or a single visitor for two hours.
The RCH, which treats some of the sickest children in the state, allows two parents or caregivers unlimited time and an extra sibling or other household member is allowed for two hours in the evenings.
In the meantime, the RMH has limited attendance to two people at a time, except for compassionate reasons.
A spokesman for the RMH said the rules are under constant review but are also necessary to meet government density requirements.
“We are constantly looking for and reviewing our guidelines when the restrictions are relaxed,” said the spokesman.
Mr Mason said a sensible approach with masks, social distancing, and temperature checks should be used to take good precautions.
“I think we can increase the number of (visitors) from two to four and get visiting hours back to normal,” he said.
“And I think they should do it for the next fortnight, it would be a nice Christmas present for patients who will be there over the Christmas period.”
Mr. Mason commended the Victorian community for understanding the need for restraints in challenging environments such as hospitals and care facilities.
He urged family and friends visitors to exercise caution and respect the safety of patients and staff.
“Please be sensible and wear your face mask, social distancing and not seeing loved ones when you are sick,” he said.
– Alanah Frost
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