The problem is not that Andrews has delayed the announcing of eased restrictions. That's fine – NSW did so just the other week. It's sensible caution.

The problem is that he was saying as late as Friday that he would be able to make "significant" announcements today.

It was pretty obvious from the detection of the second case connected to EPIC on Friday, but not directly connected to the first case, that they'd have to do a testing and tracing operation going out to 3rd and 4th ring of contacts. Which would never have been completed by today.

Again: I'm not criticising that. We WANT that to happen. But when nerves are as frayed as they are in Melbourne, you have to say right away that it's potentially going to cause delays because of how long it takes to undertake an operation like that.

Anyway, I think the most telling line from today's press conference came not from Andrews, but a reporter. After Andrews clarified, more than an hour in, that we were still on track to open up by November 1.

Reporter: "Why didn't you say that an hour ago, as directly as that?"