Melbourne’s COVID-19 cluster has today grown to a total of 26 cases, forcing the entire state of Victoria into lockdown.
From 11.59pm tonight, 27 May, Victoria will enter a circuit breaker lockdown for a period of seven days.
Victorian residents will only be permitted to leave their homes for five reasons:
- Shopping for groceries and essential goods and services
- Authorised work or permitted education
- Exercise, up to 2 hours with one other person
- Care giving, compassionate and medical reasons
- To get vaccinated against COVID-19
Acting Premier James Merlino stressed the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as permitted.
“If you are eligible, get vaccinated,” he said.
Other restrictions in place from tonight include:
- No public or private gatherings
- Restaurants and cafes will close, however they can provide takeaway services
- Masks must be warn at all times outside the home
- No visitors to your home other than an intimate partner
- Approved professional sporting events will proceed without crowds
- In terms of ceremonies, funerals, a maximum of 10 people plus those running the service
- Weddings cannot proceed unless end of life or deportation reasons apply.
- Indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, community venues, amusements parks, creative studios, art galleries and museums, tourism and tours must close
Merlino said public health experts are concerned by how fast this variant is spreading throughout the community.
“The time between catching the virus and passing it on is tighter than ever,” he said.
“For some of those cases…how long it takes between the onset of symptoms in the first and secondary case is averaging just over a day.
“To put that in some perspective, the usual transmission is about five to six days.”
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