Victorians have weathered the storm of three lockdowns, including one in Melbourne that lasted more than 100 days.
They’re a resilient bunch, but the announcement of a fourth would be enough to tip anyone into semi-despair.
Or at the very least, inspire a wardrobe change. With schools and workplaces closed for at least seven days, slipping into something more comfortable has never been more literal.
In past lockdown announcements, a running joke was to look for indications of good or bad news by studying the attire of state Premier Daniel Andrews.
His clothing earned a cult following in 2020 as the state endured weeks of lockdown during its second wave. Would he wear a suit? Or would it be the famous North Face jacket?
It was said that if Mr Andrews wore a suit and tie, you could kiss your weekend plans goodbye.
But if he showed up to the press conference in his North Face jacket, a collective sigh of relief was felt around the state before he even started to speak.
Mr Andrews has since been benched by a horrific back injury, and is by all accounts recovering well.
But in his absence, lockdown-weary Victorians contemplating days at home without the guidance of their injured Premier might have found a replacement.
Victoria’s chief health officer appeared to personify many of the state’s approximately six million residents when he turned out for a media briefing on Friday.
There was chatter on social media, with some (our editor) wondering why Mr Sutton didn’t put in a little more “effort for the telly”.
But, when the news was positive – only four new cases of coronavirus had been recorded overnight – some speculated that the hoodie was a signal.
Tweet from @bridgerollo
Tweet from @manjusrii
In any case, Mr Sutton’s slightly more relaxed appearance has apparently not dissuaded his true fans. After all, this is the man whose face inspired a line of merchandise in 2020.
Tweet from @peachymagenta
