Seven-day Victoria lockdown starts at 8pm

VICTORIA will go into its sixth lockdown within hours, with Premier Daniel Andrews announcing the entire state would return to the same level of restrictions as lockdown #5 at 8pm tonight.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Mr Andrews said the speed of the Delta variant of COVID-19 meant the state had no choice.

“Nothing I say is meant of a criticism of anyone else across the country but context is very important,” he said.

“I want to make it very clear, we only get one chance to act fast, only one chance to make difficult decisions that are the right decision.

“I would prefer to wait two or three days, I would prefer we didn’t have to make this decision now.

“But my fear is if we were to wait a few days and the advice to me from the experts if we were to wait even just a few days, there is every chance, instead of being locked down for a week, this gets away from us, we are potentially locked down until we all get vaccinated. That’s months away.

“Others are living that at the moment, others are having to deal with that at the moment, we wish them well and we support them but we do not want that here, I am determined to do everything popular or otherwise to avoid that happening to us.”

He said this lockdown was beginning at 8pm and not midnight as there was community transmission of COVID-19 in the final hours before the fifth lockdown.

“This evening is go home, and begin that lockdown. Don’t be out and about because all you might be doing is spreading the virus.”

As of 8pm tonight:

• There are only five reasons to leave home: getting the food and the supplies you need, exercising for up to two hours, care or caregiving, authorised work or education if you can’t do it from home, or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location
• Shopping and exercise must be done within 5km of your home or the nearest location
• Face masks will remain mandatory indoors (not at home) and outdoors unless an exception applies – this includes all workplaces and secondary schools.
• Private gatherings are not permitted except for an intimate partner or nominated person visits. Public gatherings are not permitted. Exercise is limited to two people
• Childcare and Early Childhood Care will remain open. Schools will close, with primary and secondary school students returning to remote learning – except for vulnerable children, and the children of authorised workers who can learn on site
• Where a parent or carer indicates that a student with a disability cannot learn from home due to vulnerability or family stress, the school must provide on-site learning for that student. This will apply to students enrolled in specialist schools and students with a disability enrolled in mainstream schools
• Higher education students will also return to remote learning, except for learning programs allowed on the Authorised Premises and Authorised Workers (APAW) List.