Photo by Jojo Seriña in the height of Melbourne's first lockdown.

Victoria to enter seven-day snap lockdown from 8pm tonight

Cancel your plans, there will only be five reasons to leave home.

Here we go again.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has today introduced more restrictions in Victoria, imposing a seven-day snap lockdown from 8pm tonight as the state deals with yet another COVID-19 outbreak in state with hopes of avoiding a “NSW-style” outbreak.

Meeting were held earlier today to determine whether another lockdown was necessary after a new coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Six new cases were reported on Thursday, including three mystery cases: a woman who lives in Hobsons Bay and works at Al-Taqwa College, a huge school in Truganina that was the centre of a large outbreak last year; her partner; and a man in his 20s who lives in Maribyrnong.

Two more people – relatives of the Hobsons Bay couple – have also tested positive and will be included in Friday’s numbers.

New exposure sites have also been listed on the health department’s website in suburbs such as Caroline Springs, Altona North, Spotswood, and Newport. There are seven people with COVID-19 in Victorian hospitals, including two people in intensive care, both of whom are on ventilators.

The key takeaways

• Victoria to enter a five-day snap lockdown from midnight tonight
• There will only be five reasons to leave home.
• This will see Victoria return to the circuit breaker lockdown format.

Keep up with the latest in local news via our website.

Already, mask rules are to be worn in all indoor and outdoor settings, other than at home, and now the Premier has revealed these drastic measures to curb the growing COVID outbreak again, especially given the speed of the delta variant.

He says the “difficult decision” has been made to go into the sixth lockdown, from 8pm tonight.

“I want to make it very clear, we only get one chance to act fast, only one chance to make difficult decisions that are the right decision,” Andrews says.

“I would prefer to wait two or three days, I would prefer we didn’t have to make this decision now.

“But my fear is if we were to wait a few days and the advice to me from the experts if we were to wait even just a few days, there is every chance, instead of being locked down for a week, this gets away from us, we are potentially locked down until we all get vaccinated. That’s months away.

“Others are living that at the moment, others are having to deal with that at the moment, we wish them well and we support them but we do not want that here, I am determined to do everything popular or otherwise to avoid that happening to us.”

The Victorian lockdown action will begin from 8pm tonight and will see Victoria return to the circuit breaker lockdown format.

Circuit Breaker Restrictions include:

• There will only be five reasons that you are permitted to leave your house and only if you really have to. Food and supplies. Authorised work. Care and caregiving. Exercise, for up to two hours and with one other person. And getting vaccinated.
• Face masks will need to be worn indoors and outdoors and no visitors will be allowed in homes other than an intimate partner.
• Public and private gatherings will not be permitted.
• Single bubbles will be permitted. If you live alone, you can make a bubble with another person.
• If you can work from home, then you must work from home.
• Schools will close and move to remote learning except for vulnerable children, and children of authorised workers.
• Childcare and early childhood centres will remain open.
• Higher education is closed, move to remote learning.
• Restaurants, pubs, and cafes can provide takeaway only.
• Essential retail, so supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, banks, bottle shops and pharmacies, other retail stores can provide click and collect.
• Approved professional sporting events will proceed but proceed without crowds.
• Community support and recreation, accommodation will close, but there will be some exemptions that apply.
• Hotels, clubs, TABs and the casino will be closed, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, swimming pools, spas, saunas, indoor and outdoor springs, community venues, drive in cinemas, amusements parks, creative studios, art galleries and museums, tourism, tours, and transport, and auctions can only happen online.
• Religious activities will not proceed other than through broadcast with a maximum of five people.
• Weddings are not permitted unless on compassionate grounds.
• Aged care facilities, no visitors except for limited reasons.
• In terms of ceremonies, funerals, a maximum of 10 people plus those running the service.
• In hospitals, visitors only for end of life, to support a partner during birth, or a parent accompanying a child. In terms of ceremonies, funerals, a maximum of 10 people plus those running the service.

This will be Victoria’s sixth lockdown since the pandemic began back in March 2020.

If you suspect you may have coronavirus (COVID-19) call the dedicated hotline 1800 675 398 – open 24 hours, 7 days – and get tested.

If you or anyone you know needs help, please call:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
• MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
• Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
• Headspace on 1800 650 890
• ReachOut at au.reachout.com
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774