Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases the Victorian Government announced lockdown across regional Victoria to stop the spread and keep us safe.
Lockdown directions commenced at 1:00pm on Saturday, 21 August in regional Victoria and will continue until 11:59pm on Friday, 2 September, aligning with restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne.
This means there are now only five reasons to leave your home:
- to get the food and the supplies you need
- to exercise for up to two hours no more than 5km from your home
- for care or caregiving
- authorised work or education if you can’t do it from home
- or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.
Masks for children
The age demographic of this outbreak is very different to previous ones, with around 80% of active cases aged below 40 and around 25% under the age of nine.
Because of the high rate of transmission in young people and the number of childcare centres now designated as exposure sites, all childcare centres and kinders across Victoria will be closed except to children whose parents are authorised workers and cannot be supervised at home. Vulnerable children can still attend. A permit system will apply, and further details will be available soon.
Victoria’s public health team are also strongly recommending that primary school aged children, when they are not at home, also wear a mask as an extra precaution against this virus.
Face masks
Face masks will still be mandatory outdoors and indoors (not at home) unless an exception applies – this includes all workplaces, and secondary schools.
Masks will also not be able to be removed to drink alcoholic beverages.
Working
To give industry time to adjust, workforce permits will be required to leave the house for authorised work from 11.59pm Monday 23 August. Workforce limits apply to the construction industry, however the government will be engaging with industry about safely reducing staff numbers as they secure sites.
Exercise and recreation
Playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment will be closed. Exercise will be limited to just one other person, plus dependants if they can’t be left at home. And more than ever, it’s so important people do not have visitors to the home.
