Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a seven-day extension to Melbourne’s sixth lockdown.
People in Greater Melbourne will not exit the lockdown until 11.59pm on Thursday, 19 August.
The premier said that five new mystery cases in the 20 new local cases recorded on Wednesday meant rendered the extension necessary. He said that the outbreaks are “already challenged by the fact that we can’t determine where the original source, where the index case was and how they got it” as well as overnight information left unanswered questions making restrictions necessary.
“This is very challenging, I know, for every single Victorian who would like to be going about their business, they would like to be open and have a degree of freedom. That is simply not possible because of this Delta variant. The extreme infectivity of this virus, in a very short space of time, if we were to open, we would see cases akin to what’s happening, sadly, in Sydney right now,” he said.
Mr Andrews announced people living in border communities in NSW will need to apply for a permit to travel, which will be enforced after 6pm on Friday.
“It is not good enough to limit movement,” he said.
“We need to know who is moving. Before anyone says, why would you do that? If this virus can get from Sydney to Byron Bay, to Armidale, then only a fool would think it couldn’t get to Albury. It absolutely can. We need to go beyond a bubble.
“We need to have permits. People apply once, have their permit and then have a clear sense of who is moving within those border towns. Logic tells you there is every chance that it comes to those border – those southern New South Wales communities, and then there is a potential risk of coming into Victoria. We need to have as much information as possible about who is moving in that border bubble.”
Rules in effect
- People should stay at home unless they are shopping for necessary goods and services (one person per household, once per day, a support person can accompany if required); leaving home for caregiving or compassionate reasons; dealing with authorised work or permitted education, or work interstate; exercise (up to two hours, with one other person or members of your household); and receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
- A travel limit of 5km from the place of primary residence will continue to be in place unless people need to access necessary goods and services where those goods and services cannot be accessed closer than 5kms from home; need to visit an intimate partner; need to visit a person in your “single bubble”; are allowed to travel for authorised work and permitted education; work at an interstate location (where permitted by another state); care and compassionate reasons (specific exemptions apply).
- Face coverings must be worn indoors and outdoors except if at home, or when visiting an intimate partner’s place of residence or if an exemption applies.
- Those who can work from home should do so.
- Private gatherings are not permitted, however intimate partner visits and single person bubbles are permitted.
- Public gatherings are not permitted.
- Early learning centres, childcare and family day care is open
- Remote learning for most students will continue at school but will be open to vulnerable children, and the children of authorised workers.
- Higher education and training will be closed, remote learning only unless permitted study.
- Essential retail is open with a density quotient of 1 person per four sq. metres.
- Hospitality is open for take-away only.
- Other general retail remains closed, but open for contactless click and collect only.
- No in-person gatherings are permitted for religious purposes. Broadcast permitted for up to five people.
- Funerals are permitted with no more than 10 people and those necessary to conduct the funeral, but children under 12 months are not counted towards the cap.
- Weddings aren’t permitted unless for end of life or deportation reasons and should involve five people, including the two people being married, celebrant and two witnesses.
- Indoor physical recreation and sport is closed apart from hydrotherapy for permitted purposes only.
- Play centres, indoor skateparks, indoor trampolining centres are closed.
- Outdoor physical recreation and sport is closed, however outdoor playgrounds, skateparks and gym equipment remain open.
- Creative studios remain closed.
- Indoor and outdoor fixed seated entertainment are closed.
- Non-seated indoor venues remain closed.
- Arcades, auction houses, hairdressing, beauty and personal care, escape rooms, bingo centres, drive-in cinemas, non-seated indoor venues, amusement parks, business function facilities, conference centres, retail betting venues, electronic gaming, casinos, brothels, sexually explicit venues remain closed.
