Victorians are urged to stay at home and limit their movement for five days to stop the spread of the recent coronavirus outbreak.
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced restrictions will change from 11.59pm Friday, 12 February to 11.59pm Wednesday, 17 February 2021 and apply across the whole state.
There will be only four reasons to leave your home:
- shopping for the things you need,
- caring for a loved one,
- exercise for a maximum of 2 hours a day and
- permitted work and study.
Exercise and shopping will be limited to within 5km from your home, but if there are no shops within that distance, you are able to travel to the stores closest to you.
Face masks will now need to be worn whenever you leave the house, both inside and outdoors.
School students will learn from home unless they need onsite supervision. University and TAFE students will also move to online learning.
These important actions have been implemented on public health advice, due to a hyper-infectious UK variant of coronavirus within our community.
The best contribution we can make is to limit our movement which means we limit the spread of the virus – and to get tested if you have any symptoms, no matter how mild.
Here are the other important changes:
- Visitors to the home, private and public gatherings not permitted
- Two-hour exercise allowed daily with your household members, intimate partner or one other person only
- Only essential retail and takeaway open, along with early learning centres, childcare and family day care
- A maximum of 10 people at funerals (and those necessary to conduct the service)
- Schools, restaurants (except for takeaway), religious gatherings, weddings, indoor and outdoor sport, gyms and pools, hairdressing salons, cinemas will be closed
- Aged care and hospital visits not permitted (in most circumstances).
As always, Victorians can leave their home in an emergency or to escape family violence. For more information, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for the latest exposure sites and where to get tested.
Premier Daniel Andrews stated: ” We’ve seen this action work in Queensland and Western Australia – giving us the time we need to get ahead of this faster moving virus. That means there will be four reasons to leave your home: shopping for the things you need, care and caregiving, exercise and work, if it is essential. I know today will be hard, but Victorians have proven more than once that we can do this.”
This “circuit-breaker” action has come as a result of a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak at Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn that has reached 13 cases. Commercial passenger vehicles are considered essential and can continue to operate during this lockdown, but passengers should only be leaving their home for the above four approved reasons.
Case locations and outbreaks
There are many case locations and outbreaks. A full list of Tier 1 and Tier 2 exposure sites can be found on the DHHS website.
- Anyone who has visited these Tier 1 exposure sites during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.
- Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during the times listed is strongly encouraged to urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Please note: Terminal 4 at Melbourne Airport is now considered a Tier 1 exposure site and anyone who visited this terminal between 4:45am and 2:00pm on Tuesday 9 February must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.
You must continue to practise proper hygiene and cleaning procedures during and after each trip. For more details on these click here.
Face masks are mandatory when you leave home for any reason, unless you have a lawful exemption. Click here for details on mask wearing.
The full list of exposed sites can be found here
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