Victoria's lockdown exit plan could be enhanced with a demonstrable improvement in the state's ability to test, trace and isolate, Burnet Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb AC has told the ABC.
Professor Crabb told Patricia Karvelas on ABC Television News Channel's Afternoon Briefing that contact tracing is where Victoria lost control of the first lockdown.
"The quarantine problem … obviously initiated the second wave, but it was the inability to detect and put out the spot fires that was the biggest problem there," Professor Crabb said.
"I know that the government has been working very hard at this, but that's the conversation I would like.
"It's more important than the modelling that we see where the milestones are in contact tracing, what's been happening, where the improvements are and what still needs to happen, because it's that, more than anything else, that over the next year or two will allow us to open up our society."
Victoria's test, trace and isolate strategy needs to be demonstrably enhanced for the state's long-term #COVID19 recovery to be effective @CrabbBrendan tells @PatSKarvelas #afternoonbriefing @VictorianCHO @DanielAndrewsMP @billbowtell @MJA_Editor @SandroDemaio @JennyMikakos pic.twitter.com/9mIsOPjyI3
- Burnet Institute (@BurnetInstitute) September 7, 2020
Professor Crabb described Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' road map for recovery as 'achievable' and 'sensible' and said he was supportive 'with a caveat'.
He urged the government to be as transparent as possible in its dealings with the Victorian community.
"That's the social contract with Victorians, who are being asked to do a lot, and we have a lot to be grateful to the government for.
"Victoria and Australia is in a lot better position than a lot of other jurisdictions around the world.
"The social contract is, we'll do our bit as Victorians, but we need the government to keep us informed all the way."
Click here to watch Professor Crabb's interview in full.
