Melbourne’s lockdown has been extended for a further two weeks and strengthened due to the ongoing level of community transmission of COVID-19.
Premier, Daniel Andrews said the lockdown had been extended until 11.59pm on 2 September and a curfew from 9pm to 5am every night was now in effect across metropolitan Melbourne.
Mr Andrews said it was clear the number of COVID-19 cases out in the community was still too high, that the virus was spreading too far and there were too many exposure sites cropping up every day.
“The average exposure days, the number of days an infectious person is out in the community, was 0.61 and declining at this point of our previous outbreak,” Mr Andrews said.
“In the current outbreak the average exposure days is 1.8,” he said.
“To put that more simply: Cases diagnosed yesterday were infectious in the community for a total of 15 days, compared to 0 for the same point during the last outbreak.”
Mr Andrews said there had been a number of mystery cases discovered, which indicated the virus was moving around undetected in the community.
The Premier said police presence would be increased across metropolitan Melbourne to ensure public health measures were enforced.
He said permits, which would need to be carried, were now required to leave the house for authorised work and additional restrictions applied to the construction industry, which would operate as it did last year with staffing reductions except for critical infrastructure and emergency repairs.
“Under the strengthened restrictions designed to curb potential transmission events, playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment will now be closed,” Mr Andrews said.
“People will not be able to remove their masks to drink alcoholic beverages in public.”
He said exercise was limited to just two people, plus dependants if they could not be left at home.
Mr Andrews said other restrictions remained the same and there were still only five reasons to leave home: Shopping for essentials; care and caregiving; exercise; authorised work and study; and to get a vaccine.
Further information on Victoria’s current public health rules and restrictions can be accessed on the State’s COIVD-19 information website at this PS News link.
