State of disaster declared, regional Victoria to return to Stage 3 restrictions

THE entire state of Victoria will move into a state of disaster from 6pm tonight (Sunday, August 2) in a major tightening of coronavirus restrictions just announced by Premier Daniel Andrews.

Regional Victoria will return to Stage 3 restrictions from midnight on Wednesday.

Like the earlier Stage 3 restrictions, people must stay at home except for the four accepted reasons (shopping for food and supplies, care and caregiving, exercise, and study and work).

Businesses such as restaurants and gyms must close (unless they can offer takeaway or home delivery services).

All Victorian schools (both metropolitan and regional) will move to flexible and remote learning from Wednesday.

Tomorrow (Monday, August 3) will be as normal, and Tuesday will be a pupil free day.

The new rules – which will run for six weeks – are even tighter in metropolitan Melbourne, which will have a curfew between 8pm and 5am introduced as of tonight under Stage 4 restrictions.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Andrews said he was re-introducing Stage 3 in regional Victoria “with some regret”, but had to “given the significant community transmission and the growing case numbers, and the fact we need to stay ahead of this in regional Victoria”.

The state of disaster is in addition to the state of emergency that already exists, and will grant police additional powers.

Victoria recorded 671 new cases and seven deaths over the past 24 hours.

Mr Andrews said he would announce changes to businesses tomorrow, and they would be classified in three categories.

“Those that are business as usual. I want to ensure all Victorian supermarkets, the butcher, the baker, food, beverage, groceries, those types of settings, there will be no impact there.

“In terms of a number of other issues, they’ll be reducing their total output. That will mean there are less people working less shifts. There is less contact. There is less seating of this virus from workplaces back into families and from family to family and right throughout the Victorian community.

“There will be a third category of business and they’ll close and move to a work from home and if they can’t work from home the work simply won’t be done.”

Education Minister James Merlino said nothing had changed for Year 12 students in term four, including VCE exams and getting results, certificates and ATARs (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) before the end of the year.

“I can assure students and parents you will receive your certificate and receive your results, you will receive your ATAR. So there is no change to any VCE exam. The only thing that will change is the GAT (General Achievement Test), which will move from September to early term four.”

For the latest updates, head to dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus