Three new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Victoria in the past 24 hours, as Melburnians prepare for another week of lockdown – at least until 10 June.

One of the cases is an aged care resident at the Arcare Maidstone facility.

There were 57,519 test results processed yesterday, a record number. Health authorities also administered 23,921 vaccine doses.

Regional Australians will lift some restrictions at 11.59pm on Thursday night, however Melburnians will need to live with significant COVID-19 restrictions for weeks to come.

Reduced restrictions mean that face-to-face learning will be resumed for Year 11 and 12 students tomorrow whereas other classes will still continue online learning until the end of next week. Other reprieves include the allowance of landscapers and painters to return to work.

The travel bubble has also been expanded from 5km to 10km for exercise and essential shopping.

Bars, restaurants, retail stores and other workplaces will, from the end of next week face ongoing density limits.

Football and event crowds will be capped and masks will be work indoors once sporting and entertainment activities reopen in Melbourne.

READ MORE: Melbourne lockdown extended by seven days, restrictions eased and calls for aid to businesses

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said that under an “aggressive suppression” strategy, it would not be safe to reopen despite community transmission “grumbling along”.

Asked about whether the seven-day lockdown would be enough to snuff out the virus, Professor Sutton said “no crystal ball-gazing is possible”.

Industry leaders reacted furiously to the extended lockdown, with an estimated cost of up to $143 million a day to the Victorian business sector.

The state government committed Industry leaders reacted furiously to the extended lockdown, which could cost the Victorian business sector up to $143 million a day.

The state government has committed $460 million to a businesses support fund in the wake of the extended lockdown, however a number of businesses urged the government to reintroduce rent-relief schemes.

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Operation Sentinel

The police’s COVID-19 enforcement squad will be out in full force once restrictions are lifted on regional Victoria on Friday with Operation Sentinel.

There will be no “ring of steel” around metropolitan Melbourne, but police will be conducting patrols to prevent a mass exodus from Melbourne as another week of lockdown begins.

“Victoria Police will be conducting mobile patrols, both in vehicles and on foot across the state. The mobile vehicle patrols will utilise Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to scan car registration details and identify the residential addresses of those licence holders,” a police spokeswoman said.

Police officers will also randomly visit businesses and public spaces to ensure that people are doing the right thing.