The graph that will infuriate you: Leigh Sales asks why Victoria is still in lockdown - despite the state having LESS cases than NSW did when restrictions were eased

Leigh Sales has sparked a heated debate after questioning why Victoria is still in coronavirus lockdown despite recording far less cases than NSW after it eased its restrictions.

The host of ABC's 7.30 program took to social media on Monday to ask why harsh restrictions remained in Melbourne despite similar case numbers to NSW in July.

'There’s something I don’t understand - looking at NSW stats around mid July, there were 15/18/14/20 new corona cases a day. It never escalated,' Sales wrote on Twitter.

'No lockdown and life was COVID-normal. Why isn’t that happening now in Victoria on their current numbers?'

Victoria has recorded 10.5 cases on average every day across the last 12 days. Meanwhile, NSW recorded an average of 15.6 cases late in July after ending its lockdown

ABC journalist Leigh Sales sparked a heated debate when she took to social media to ask why Melbourne still remains under a strict Stage Four coronavirus lockdown 

Sales explained Victoria now had similar daily case numbers to NSW in July, where residents were permitted to gather in groups of 20 (Hosier Lane in Melbourne's CBD pictured) 

Victoria recorded 15 new coronavirus cases on Monday. Sales asked why NSW was able to enjoy eased restrictions and a COVID-normal life with similar figures 

Sales pointed out that Victoria was recording a similar number of coronavirus cases to NSW's July figures but not enjoying the same form of eased restrictions. 

Residents in NSW could gather in groups of up to 20 people from July 1, while Victoria has extended its State of Emergency to November 8. 

Melbourne also remains under a strict lockdown and people are only able to gather in maximum groups of five, from two households.    

'I just don’t get why NSW functioned at those numbers almost normally but things are so drastically different in Victoria,' Sales said. 

Fellow ABC broadcaster and doctor Norman Swan said it was due to 'a combination of factors'. 

'Much better on the ground contact tracing... NSW never had thousands of mystery cases like Victoria did and never had out of control superspreading events,' he said.

'Doesn’t Victoria have all that under control now? Or do they still think there are a huge number of cases out there in the community,' Sales responded.   

Former Olympian David Culbert said Melbourne's continued lockdown was politically motivated.  

'The Victorian Premier is seeking eradication in the only hope of remaining anything but a destructor of an entire state. He’s prepared to destroy it in the hope of saving himself,' he wrote. 

DAILY CORONAVIRUS CASES

VICTORIA - OCTOBER, DURING LOCKDOWN 

Average daily: 10.5

1st: 14 cases

2nd: 5 cases

3rd: 9 cases

4th: 10 cases

 5th: 8 cases

6th: 15 cases

7th: 5 cases

8th: 9 cases

9th: 10 cases

10th: 14 cases

11th: 12 cases

12th: 15 cases

NSW  - JULY, AFTER LOCKDOWN

Average daily: 15.6

18th: 15 cases

19th: 18 cases

20th: 20 case

21st: 13 cases

22nd: 16 case

23rd: 19 cases

24th: 7 cases

25th: 15 cases

26th: 14 cases

27th: 17 cases

28th: 14 cases

29th: 19 cases

 

Commenters listed stronger contact tracing and less community transmission in NSW as key differences between the states (coronavirus testing pictured in Melbourne on Friday) 

Health reporter Norman Swan identified less circulation of the virus as a key reason (pictured above) while Olympian David Culbert said Melbourne's lockdown was politically motivated

Other commenters suggested Victoria's health system was 'depleted' (pictured above) 

Sales' tweet sparked furious debate on social media.

Scores of people claimed a lack of 'widespread community transmission' and an 'expert tracing team' as the key differences between the states. 

'NSW Health has been much better at targeting their response and bringing clusters under control,' one person wrote.   

Others suggested 'a depleted health system' and the deadly spread of the virus within aged care facilities in Victoria was the reason it was still locked down.   

Victoria recorded 15 new cases of coronavirus and no new deaths on Monday.  

Plans to lift Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions on October 19 have been pushed back with two new rules brought into effect from midnight on Sunday. 

Residents who refuse a COVID-19 test will now have to spend 21 days instead of 11 days in isolation and regional Victorian businesses will not be allowed to seat Melbourne residents. 

Melburnians must also continue to abide by the five-kilometre travel ban and mandatory face mask rule.  

Victoria has extended its state of emergency to November 8 and pushed back the easing of Stage Four restrictions (Twitter comment comparing NSW and VIC pictured above)