Victorians will be plunged into a week-long lockdown from 11.59pm Thursday as the state government scrambles to contain a COVID-19 outbreak in Melbourne’s north.
Face masks will be mandatory in both indoor and outdoor settings, except for at home.
Schools will also close and move to remote learning, except to care for the children of essential workers, but childcare will remain open.
Supermarkets and essential services like pharmacies, petrol stations and banks will remain open but restaurants, pubs and cafes will be limited to take-away.
Victorians will only be able to leave home for five reasons: to get food and supplies, for care and care giving, for authorised work, to exercise, or to get vaccinated.
People wait for COVID tests in Melbourne on Wednesday, 26 May. Source: AAP
Exercise and shopping will be limited to five kilometres from a resident’s home. Exercise will also be capped at two hours each day, with only one other person.
Weddings will be banned except under extenuating circumstances such as end of life or deportation reasons.
Religious services will also be barred unless it's for broadcast with a maximum of five people present.
Acting Premier James Merlino said the past 24 hour period was critical to the decision to impose a lockdown - the state's fourth so far.
“If we make the wrong choice now, if we wait too long, this thing will get away from us," he told reporters on Thursday.
AFL matches in round 11 will also be played without any crowds present.
AFL Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan announced matches would be undertaken with only players, coaches, umpires and essential match day staff in the venues.
"It is disappointing for fans in Victoria to not be able to attend the footy this weekend, but the events of the last 24 - 48 hours reiterate the reasons why we have put in place the contact tracing requirements at matches, to keep the community as safe as possible as we continue to navigate through the pandemic," he said.
It came as the state recorded 11 new cases in the 24 hours to Thursday. The COVID-19 cluster in Melbourne's north has grown to 26 infections.
Contact tracers are now dealing with more than 10,000 primary and secondary contacts of COVID-19 cases and more than 150 exposure sites across the state.
The sites include the MCG, Marvel Stadium and bars in Prahran and South Yarra.
Mr Merlino said it would be a “circuit breaker” lockdown given the virus was spreading at a “super quick pace”.
The public health advice was that the seven-day period was required, he added.
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said authorities were dealing with the highly-infectious B161 variant.
“When we see a member (of a family) become infected, almost all the household is infected,” Professor Sutton said.
“It really is rapid and that's led to the exponential increase.”
Over 40s to be given vaccines
Mr Merlino also announced that eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine would be expanded. Anyone over 40 would now be eligible for the Pfizer jab in Victoria, he said.
“The reason why we are dealing with this outbreak today is because of a hotel breach in South Australia,” he said.
“We have had breaches in hotel quarantine right around our country. The only way through this pandemic is everyone getting vaccinated as quickly as you are eligible.”
Earlier, the federal government announced it would release tens of thousands of more vaccines to Victoria.
Mr Merlino pointed to the delays in the Commonwealth vaccine rollout.
"If we had the vaccine, the Commonwealth's vaccine program effectively rolled out, we may well not be here today."
Speaking later on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there was no single, "simple" measure that provided any guarantees around ensuring an outbreak wouldn't occur.
It required many factors to work together, he said.
"I want to assure Victorians, the Victorian and federal governments are working hand in glove to get this job done," he told reporters in Canberra.
"The only thing that matters is their health, safety, jobs and protecting them and getting them through these next few days ahead."
There were 218 Australian Defence Force personnel in Victoria supporting the COVID response including around quarantine, borders, and contact tracing, the prime minister added.
Separately, Greater Melbourne has been declared a Commonwealth hotspot, which will activate federal support including assistance around aged care facility staff, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly announced Thursday afternoon.
Professor Kelly said it was clear there had been a super-spreading event in Melbourne that caused the current spate of cases.
"It is clear there has been a super spreading event from one of the members of the current cluster, especially in the workplace, that points to high risk at this time in terms of transmission through the community," he said.
States react
NSW Health authorities have moved to ensure anyone travelling from Victoria after 4pm on Thursday will be required to abide by the state's lockdown rules, even while in NSW.
They must remain at home for seven days, and are only permitted to leave for limited reasons, including shopping for essential items, medical care, caregiving, outdoor exercise, and essential work or education.
However, NSW residents in border communities will only be required to abide by the rules if they have go outside the border region from 4pm.
South Australia is only allowing essential workers and returning South Australians to cross the border if they have been in Greater Melbourne, but they must get three virus tests and isolate for 14 days.
Anybody from Greater Melbourne who travelled to SA in recent days must also get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
In Perth, a testing clinic is being set up at the airport for Victorian arrivals, who must isolate until they return a negative result.
Queensland has asked its residents to reconsider all travel to Victoria, especially Greater Melbourne, and anyone who has been in the City of Whittlesea since May 11 will be turned away from the state 1am on Thursday.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also announced anyone who had been in Victoria since May 11 will be ordered into hotel quarantine on arrival from 1am on Friday.
- with AAP
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