27 September 2023

Hard cases extend COVID lockdown

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The current Melbourne lockdown has been extended until at least midnight of Thursday next week (19 August) due to the number of active COVID-19 cases across the City.

Premier, Daniel Andrews said contact tracers had worked around-the-clock to contain the virus but, as of Wednesday (11 August), there were 116 active locally-acquired cases, nearly 300 exposure sites and more than 12,000 active primary close contacts around Greater Melbourne.

“This is how quickly the Delta variant is moving in the community,” Mr Andrews said.

“It means we need to limit movement for a longer period of time – so contact tracers can get ahead of the virus, just like they have done before,” he said.

“For the next seven days, you can still only leave home for five reasons: To get the food and the supplies you need; for exercise for up to two hours; for care or caregiving; permitted work or education if you can’t do it from home; or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.”

Mr Andrews said people must conduct shopping and exercise within 5km of their homes, or their nearest location, and face masks remained mandatory outdoors and indoors unless an exception applied.

The Premier said due to the outbreak in NSW, residents of the cross-border community Local Government Areas would be required to obtain a permit to cross between Victoria and NSW from 6pm today (13 August).

“We know the changes to border rules have been a challenge for border residents, but the permit will improve our ability to track who is entering Victoria from NSW and make it easier to rapidly get information to contact tracers and to monitor for compliance,” he said.

Mr Andrews said those residents could cross the Victoria-NSW border for necessary goods and services, including medical care; care or other compassionate reasons; work; education; to receive a COVID-19 vaccination; for an organised/community sport; and exercise connected to, or organised by, a club or facility.

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