Victoria ramps up restrictions to avoid six-month lockdown

VICTORIA is facing the biggest challenge of its history to overcome a second wave of COVID-19 and avoid another six months of lockdowns.

Melbourne has been placed under curfew for the first time since World War II, while regional Victoria faces new restrictions in an attempt to avoid a statewide disaster.

Sweeping Stage Four coronavirus restrictions enacted from 6pm yesterday see Melburnians confined to within 5km of their homes and allowed out for only one hour of exercise a day for the next six weeks.

The strongest restrictions faced by Australians in modern times come after Victoria recorded another 671 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths yesterday.

Six of the latest deaths were aged-care home residents, raising Victoria’s COVID-19 toll to 123.

Amid the likelihood Australian Defence Force personnel will join Victoria Police to enforce lockdowns on Melbourne’s streets, Premier Daniel Andrews warned the unprecedented measures were the only chance of avoiding the need for lesser restrictions until the end of the year.

“We can no longer have people visiting others. We can no longer have people simply out and about for no good reason whatsoever,” Mr Andrews said. “This cannot be more serious. If we don’t make these changes, then we are not going to get through this.

“The times for warnings and cautions, that’s over.”

But with “mystery” community transmissions growing, the Premier warned the only other option was to tolerate hundreds of cases a day until Christmas.

“Six weeks verses a much, much slower strategy that takes up to six months — I am not prepared to accept that,” Mr Andrews said.

“I am not prepared to accept days and days and days of hundreds of cases and more and more deaths.