Ballarat heading back into lockdown

AFTER just over a week of relative freedom, the City of Ballarat is being forced back into lockdown under an order by the state’s Chief Health Officer.

From 11.59pm tonight, the same restrictions that apply in metropolitan Melbourne will be enforce in Ballarat, only without a curfew.

The move comes following repeated wastewater detections, a growing number of exposure sites and up to four positive COVID-19 cases in the city.

There are a growing number of signals in Ballarat that are of real concern to our public health officials, of particular concern are the multiple waste-water detections in the Ballarat area that are not accounted for by the current positive cases,” a statement from the State Government said.

“Those detections have been identified across the city.”

The returned restrictions include the five reasons to leave home – “shopping for necessary goods and services, authorised work and study, caregiving or compassionate reasons, exercise, and getting vaccinated.”

Also back in the five-kilometre travel radius, while masks continue to remain mandatory in pretty much all situations.

“We know this will be disappointing for the Ballarat community, but we’d rather get on top of these cases open up again as quickly as possible, than let cases get out of control in the area,’ said Premier Daniel Andrews.

“It’s so important that people in these LGAs continue to check for exposure sites near them, get tested if they have any symptoms at all and most important – get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”

As of 1pm today, no further exposure sites had been added to the Department of Health and Human Services tracking page since yesterday’s additions.

Sites listed include The Lake View Hotel, Big W and the Forge.

Exposure times for The Lake View Hotel at 22 Wendouree Parade, Lake Wendouree include Friday, 10 September between 9.45am and 11.30am as a tier one.

That means people who were at the location during that time must get tested and isolate for 14 days.

Also listed as tier one sites are The Forge Pizzeria, 14 Armstrong Street North between 2.50pm and 3.30pm on Saturday, 11 September and Big W at Greenville and Curtis streets between 4.45pm and 5.30pm on Friday, 10 September.

The Lake View Hotel is also listed a s tier two site on the same say between 7.15am and 7.55am and again on Thursday, 9 September between the same times.

View the full list of restrictions here.