SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
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Pandemic stories Celebrated Brimbank artist Saidin Salkic has had his work selected for the Heartlands 2020: Stories from the Inside exhibition, which launched online last week. The exhibition showcases photography and digital work by refugee and migrant artists and gives insight into the experiences of multicultural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Salkic, a filmmaker, poet, writer and visual artist, said the pandemic inspired him to celebrate Australian culture. “The artist always must retreat inside himself, pandemic has not changed anything in that regard for me,” Salkic said. “What it did, it inspired me to help celebrate Australian culture, try to add to it, evolve it in my way as an artist, introduce new ideas and help further its cultural and artistic identity. It inspired me to give, care and appreciate my country.” The exhibition, presented by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia, features four other migrant and refugee artists from Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. SAIDIN SALKIC
Esther Lauaki
Step towards reopening By Esther Lauaki Thousands of Brimbank employees will return to work this week as the state moves another step closer to COVID normal. Metropolitan Melbourne took its second step towards reopening on Sunday, allowing permitted industries to return to workplaces after the state government eased more restrictions as case numbers continue to fall. On Sunday, Melbourne’s rolling case average dropped to 22.1 – a week ahead of scheduled projections.
Active cases in Brimbank plummeted to 55 on Sunday – 50 down from the week before. Premier Daniel Andrews said latest modelling showed that the state’s strategy was working. “Not only have we been able to drive down cases from the hundreds – we’re well on track to hit single digits in the next few weeks,” Mr Andrews said. “That allows us to make some small, but significant changes.” The workforce limits for some industries will be expanded with supermarkets and food distribution centres returning to full capacity. Abattoirs, seafood and meat processing
plants will also increase to 80 per cent capacity. Childcare reopens without permits. The curfew has been lifted, while the fine for gatherings, having visitors to homes or meeting outdoors in big groups has increased to almost $5000. Groups of five people from no more than two households can socialise outdoors for two hours. Onsite learning for VCE, VCAL will resume on October 5 while primary school pupils will go back to classrooms from October 12. Apprentices and uni students in their final
year of study are able to attend onsite learning and assessment where necessary. Outdoor pools will open this week, as will private inspections for real estate and weddings can take place with up to five people. The rules around visiting hospitals and care facilities are also slightly relaxed. Mr Andrews said moving to the third and last steps out of COVID would no longer be defined by dates but would be reviewed based solely on reaching case number targets. “None of these changes though are a sign we can take our foot off the pedal,” he said.
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