Coronavirus hotspots in Victoria will be returning to Stage 3 restrictions as of midnight Wednesday night, Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed.
From 11.59pm on Wednesday, residents in a number of suburbs will be subject to stay-at-home orders, which will be in place for four weeks, until July 29.
“There will only be four reasons that you are permitted to leave your house and only if you really have to,” Andrews said.
“For work or school, for care or care giving, for daily exercise, for food and other essentials. They are the acceptable reasons to leave, but only if you need to.”
The restrictions apply to 10 postcodes: 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060 and 3064.
“These are extraordinary steps, these are not things we have had to do in the past but such is the nature of this virus, it is so wildly infectious that if we don’t take these steps now we will finish up in a situation [where rather] than locking down ten post codes we will be locking down every postcode,” Andrews said.
The Victorian suburbs entering lockdown are:
- 3012: Brooklyn, Kingville, Maidstone, Tottenham, and West Footscray
- 3021: Alban Vale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans
- 3032: Ascot Vale, High Point City, Maribyrnong, Travancore
- 3038: Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens
- 3042: Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie
- 3046: Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park
- 3047: Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana
- 3055: Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West
- 3060: Fawkner
- 3064: Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo
Residents of those suburbs will be allowed to leave the house for four reasons: shopping for food and supplies, care and caregiving, exercise, and for study or work – but only if you cannot do so from home.
(The last time around, ‘care and caregiving’ included visiting your boyfriend or girlfriend, provided neither of you were sick or in quarantine. We do not yet have confirmation of this yet – stay tuned.)
People who live outside those suburbs will only be allowed in for the same four reasons.
Business and facilities like gyms, beauty parlours, swimming pools and libraries in those suburbs which have recently been able to reopen will now be closed.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to open to takeaway and delivery only.
“Victoria Police will be actively – actively – enforcing these suburban lockdown, this stay-at-home order,” Andrews said.
“They will be patrolling throughout these communities and if people are out of their home then they will be politely asked why are you out of your home and if you are out of your home for anything other than a permitted reason then on-the-spot fines apply.”
Andrews warned that if the stay-at-home orders were not followed, the entire state would return to Stage 3 lockdowns.
It comes as Victoria recorded 64 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total of 233 new cases in the state since last Thursday.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this now, but this is wildly infectious,” Andrews said.
Statement from the Premier on local restrictions: pic.twitter.com/d0JbQWHpEx
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) June 30, 2020
Australians in other states have been urged by their premiers not to visit Victoria for the time being. Andrews has asked Scott Morrison to “divert all flights away from Melbourne for the next two weeks.”
