Victoria will go into a five-day lockdown from 11.59pm this evening Thursday July 15th, after Victoria’s COVID-19 outbreak grew to 16 cases today. 

Premier Daniel Andrews addressed media this afternoon, saying that contact tracers were doing a great job, but they “needed to get in front of it.”

The stay-at-home orders will be in effect from 11.59pm Thursday July 15th, until 11.59pm next Tuesday, with rules identical to the previous lockdown. 

“This is so infectious, this is such a challenge, that we must do this,” said Premier Andrews, adding: “We’ve got no choice. We’ve got to do this. We can’t let this virus get away from us.”

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He also urged all Victorians to get tested if they’re unwell. “Don’t delay,” he said. “If you’ve got symptoms, don’t delay.” 

Victoria is dealing with two separate chains of Delta variant transmission, moving “actively and aggressively across the state,” said COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar. 

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Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told reporters that the federal government was “making support available to Victoria” and that the Prime Minister will have “more to say about those details later today.”

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Melbourne residents are being asked to stay-at-home, unless it’s for essential reasons. 

Victoria reintroduced mandatory masks in all indoor areas yesterday, masks are also required when physical distancing cannot be maintained. 

For full details on the new restrictions, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 restrictions page.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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