Jase and PJ during their time on ZM in New Zealand. Photo / Dean Purcell
Jase and PJ during their time on ZM in New Zealand. Photo / Dean Purcell
Kiwi radio star Polly "PJ" Harding has revealed details of life inside Victoria's harsh new lockdown regime.
Harding, who co-hosts the Jase & PJ show on KIIS 1011 in Melbourne alongside Jason Hawkins, told Newstalk ZB's Kerre McIvor that life in lockdown had been "quite lonely" but she had bought a cat during Melbourne's last lockdown and her new pet was bringing her "a lot of joy".
Her co-host Hawkins told McIvor that there was frustration in the community over delays in announcing details of what businesses would be directly impacted by the lockdown.
Those details are expected to be announced early this afternoon.
Victorian Police began patrols last night in Melbourne. Photo / Getty
Hawkins added that he believed that the first lockdown had been harder on families, who struggled to adapt to new routines around home-schooling, but that the latest lockdown had been harder on singles living alone like Harding.
He said the virus was "running wild" in aged care facilities and that controlling the spread there needed to be the state government's first priority.
"The next six weeks are do-or-die, we have to make it work," he said.
Harding said that as time dragged on, Victorians were growing fatigued with relying on technology like Zoom to stay in touch with work colleagues and loved ones.
Hawkins said the "hard bit" was the taste of freedom that Victorians had, before the dramatic spike in case numbers forced the government into the new lockdown.
The pair said that they hoped that Victorians would be able to see the process through and that the restrictions would be effective in banishing the virus.
Last night, Melbourne residents returned to lockdown, with the state's opposition leader Michael O'Brien lashing the new restrictions and declaring "Victorians don't deserve this".
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews announced stage-four restrictions - and a state of disaster - for Melbourne on Sunday afternoon, including a curfew from 8pm (10pm NZT) to 5am (7am NZT) for anyone living in the metropolitan area.
Medical staff wearing PPE holding material about to walk into the Flemington Public housing flats on July 05, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo / Getty
Andrews said "today is by far the hardest day" as he announced 671 new cases of Covid-19 and seven deaths along with new unprecedented stage four restrictions.
The premier declared a state of disaster in addition to the state of emergency and said he had been left with "no alternative" but to impose the harsher restrictions on Melbourne.
"I know these are difficult decisions. This is a very difficult day. These are the decisions I've made because these are the ones that will keep Victorians safe," Andrews said.
Metropolitan Melbourne started its curfew at 8pm local time but was placed under stage-four restrictions two hours earlier at 6pm. The curfew will run from 8pm to 5am every day.
"The only reason to be out of your home between the hours of 8pm and 5am is to get care, to give care, or to go to and from work or be at work. We can no longer have people visiting others. We can no longer have people simply out and about for no good reason whatsoever," Andrews said.
