COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
The COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria was part of the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in the state of Victoria, also the first in Australia, was identified as being on 19 January 2020, when a man from Wuhan arrived by air from Guandong, China. His test results on 25 January confirmed he had COVID-19.[1][2]
COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
Impacts[edit]
Arts and culture[edit]
Many exhibitions, festivals and other events were cancelled, postponed or reduced in size due to restrictions on public gatherings and health concerns. This caused a significant reduction in the numbers of people engaging in arts and cultural activities in Victoria, dropping to a low of 23% in November 2021.[162][163]
In turn, many artists and others employed in creative industries became unemployed. In April 2020, only 47% of the arts and culture sector remained in operation.[164] While some economic assistance was provided by governments, their eligibility requirements excluded over 193,000 of these workers.[164]
Hundreds of events were affected[162] including:
Melbourne had six lockdowns, totalling 262 days:[190]
There were approximately 186 days of remote learning for school students in Melbourne.
