Industry impacted by new Victorian Coronavirus lockdown

With the Victorian Government set to reimpose Level 3 Coronavirus restrictions for six weeks in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from midnight tomorrow, operators in aquatics, fitness, recreation and tourism, along with those in community recreation, are facing a further 42 days in lockdown.

With operators having been reopening since late June as Coronavirus restrictions were eased, the move has been made in a bid to slow a rapid spread of COVID-19.

With 191 new cases confirmed today, including 154 which are under investigation, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the stay-at-home orders were the result of the "unacceptably" high number of new cases.

He advised “it is simply impossible, with case rates at these levels, to have enough contract tracing staff to have enough physical resources … in order to suppress and contain this virus without taking significant steps.”

The new restrictions, which are expected to affect about five million people, require people - other than those in essential services  to remain at home other than for shopping for food and essential items, care and caregiving, daily exercise, work and study. 

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there was a "unanimous view" on the need to impose the new restrictions, adding “this is required to avoid absolutely catastrophic outcomes, indeed thousands of cases per day.

"I know that we will already see deaths from the cases that we have occurring every day. What I do not want to see is any more deaths than are already predicted."

The closure comes after the NSW Government advised that the state’s border with Victoria would close from midnight tonight and just a day after Victorian ski resorts Falls Creek and Mount Hotham commenced their much delayed season opening.

Metropolitan Melbourne, also known as Greater Melbourne, includes 31 municipalities: Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra and Yarra Ranges.

The Mitchell Shire, including the towns of Broadford and Wallan, is not part of Metropolitan Melbourne but is covered by the lockdown.