One month ago, there had been two COVID-19 cases across the entire Murrindindi municipality.
This week that statistic remains unchanged. There have been no new cases.
One month ago, in Mansfield Shire, there had been three COVID cases. That statistic remains unchanged.
One month ago, in Strath-bogie Shire, there had been two COVID cases. That statistic remains unchanged.
One month ago, in Mitchell Shire, there had nine COVID cases. That figure has increased by one, to 10.
One moth ago, across Yarra Ranges Shire, there had been 24 COVID cases. That figure has increased by one, to 25.
It is in the metropolitan and peri-urban municpalities that there is a different story.
In the City of Whittlesea, the statistic one month ago was 30. It is now up to 36.
In the NIllumbik Shire, it was 24. Now up to 26.
In the City of Manningham, it was 28, now up to 33.
Nearby, the City of Darebin figures were 40, they are now 47.
The ‘cot case’ Banyule municipality was 91. It is now 95.
The Department of Health and Human Services figures released at the weekend show that it is in places like the City of Melbourne where the real COVID-19 problems lie.
The central city municipality had 94 cases one month ago. That statistic has jumped alarmingly to 133. There are 23 active cases.
Let’s look to where the most active cases are at the moment:
Melbourne (23), Brimbank (9), Hume (8), Casey (7), Cardinia (6), Moreland (5), Darebin (4), Manningham (3), and Whittlesea (2).
There are no current cases in Mansfield, Mitchell, Murrindindi, Strathbogie and Yarra Ranges.
Premier Dan Andrews wants people in these rural areas to work at home, because of a fear that COVID-19 will be spread on trains and trams.
There are no local trains and trams across rural municipalities. City problems are wrongly becoming country problems.
Country areas of Victoria are needlessly in lockdown because of problems in the city.

• Ash Long, Editor