'Four reasons' to leave home: Premier reveals strict new rules in virus hotspots
Victorians in coronavirus hotspots have been given only four reasons they can leave the house after the state recorded another 64 cases of coronavirus.
Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Tuesday, that from 11.59pm on Wednesday people in 10 different postcodes will only be allowed to leave the home for four reasons.
The postcodes are all virus hotspots.
“There will only be four reasons that you are permitted to leave your house and only if you really have to,” Mr Andrews said.
“For work or school, for care or care giving, for daily exercise, for food and other essentials.
“They are the acceptable reasons to leave but only if you need to.
“It is not an opportunity to go shoe shopping, it is not an opportunity to be taking daily exercise for the whole day and particularly not outside the suburbs I am about to list which will be the subject of these orders.”
The 10 Victorian postcodes in lockdown
3012 - Brooklyn, Kingville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray
3021 - Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans
3032 - Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore
3038 - Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Waterardens
3042 - Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie
3046 - Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park
3047 - Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana
3055 - Brunswick South, Brunswick West, Moonee Vale, Moreland West
3060 - Fawkner
3064 - Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickelham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo
The premier added people shouldn’t travel into the postcodes either over the next four weeks unless it’s for work that has to be done in person.
The restrictions will remain in place until at least July 29.
“We have to limit the number of people who are going in and out of these post codes and sadly we have to ensure that residents, families within these post codes, do not leave their home other than for those four permitted reasons and, again, only when they need to,” Mr Andrews said.
Victoria Police will patrol the hotspots and issue fines for people leaving their houses outside the four reasons state by the premier.
Mr Andrews described testing as “booze bus-type checks” on residents.
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“These are extraordinary steps, these are not things we have had to do in the past but such is the nature of this virus, it is so wildly infectious that if we don't take these steps now we will finish up in a situation than locking down ten post codes we will be locking down every postcode,” he said.
“I don't want to get to that point.”
The state announced a further 75 cases on Monday and 90 cases over the weekend, with the majority of those cases locally acquired in the Melbourne region.
Such is the concern about Victoria’s cases, Queensland announced on Tuesday it was opening to every state and territory except Victoria.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk she still has “very large concerns” about Victoria.
All Victorian arrivals in Queensland will have to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense.
There have been 233 new cases of coronavirus since last Thursday in Victoria when the state’s testing blitz began, Mr Andrews said.
“That is an unacceptably high number and one that poses a real threat to all of us, not just in those hot spot suburbs but indeed in every suburb and ultimately every community across our state,” he said.
He revealed during his press conference that 928 people living in two of the hotspot suburbs heading into a four-week lockdown as of 11.59pm on Wednesday refused to be tested for coronavirus.
“Now I can't change that. That's happened. All I can do is encourage those people come forward and get tested today,” he said.
“Come forward and get tested tomorrow and in a broader sense if someone comes to your doorstep and asks you to be tested please say yes.”
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