Half a million workers forced to stay home as Melbourne’s lockdown measures intensified

MELBOURNE has closed all non-essential businesses in fresh lockdown measures that take the number of workers staying at home to 500,000.

Daniel Andrews, the premier of Victoria, made the announcement yesterday after the state recorded 429 new virus cases and 13 deaths overnight.

While the daily new cases number is well down from the recent peak of 723, the 13 deaths equals the highest number in 24 hours since the pandemic began. Eight of the deaths were linked to outbreaks in elderly care homes.

Under the new restrictions, hairdressers, call centres, factories and most retail businesses will shut.

The new measures are expected to double the number of jobs affected by coronavirus restrictions to around 500,000. Taken with those who were already working from home, it means around a million people are now not moving around for work.

Supermarkets, food stores, petrol stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, newsagents, post offices and disability and maternity supply outlets can stay open.

Hardware, building and garden centres will be open to tradespeople only, with the public limited to contactless “click and collect” shopping.

Mr Andrews said the state would introduce a permit system to make it easier for essential workers to be out at night, bearing in mind Melbourne’s new 8pm to 5am curfew he announced on Sunday.

“People will have a piece of paper that says ‘this is where I work, this is what I do’... that’s going to be a simple, common-sense process, and we’ll have more to say about that soon,” Mr Andrews said. (© Daily Telegraph, London)