Melbourne's stage three lockdown to be extended for another week while restrictions to ease in regional Victoria

Reporting new Coronavirus cases, the Victorian Government has advised that Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown will be extended for another seven days.

The stage three lockdown, which was due to be eased from 11:59pm on Thursday, will continue in Melbourne for another week, with some changes to schools and movement, with Victorian acting Premier James Merlino saying the extension is needed to get on top of the growing outbreak.

By contrast, restrictions will be eased in regional Victoria from Friday, if testing shows there continues to be no new cases.

Acting Premier Merlino said the variant currently in the community was "quicker and more contagious than we have ever seen before", adding that vaccinations were the best way to protect against contracting the Coronavirus.

In Melbourne, the five reasons to leave home will remain the same - shopping for food and essential supplies, authorised work or study, care and care-giving, exercise and getting vaccinated.

The extended lockdown is the first without the JobKeeper wage supplement, and with the JobSeeker payment back to its pre-COVID levels.

To help businesses, a $250 million funding package was announced on Sunday, with the Victorian Government to provide another $209 million for businesses hit by the lockdown.

With sporting fixtures cancelled, the AFL’s Round 12 will take place this weekend with all fixtures being played outside of Melbourne.

Explaining that the health and safety of the community continues to be the first priority, AFL Executive General Manager Clubs and Broadcasting, Travis Auld advised “we have six really strong games this weekend, and although some are taking place at unfamiliar home venues for a handful of clubs, we are encouraging as many fans as possible to come and see some great footy.

“The reality of the current situation in the community means the fixture will become a week-by-week proposition for the short-term, as we navigate through an uncertain period.

“While teams may find themselves on the road for a week or two, we are not envisaging a longer-term hub arrangement for any clubs.”

Image: An empty Melbourne laneway. Credit: Nicholas Cole, published under Creative Commons license 2.0.