Australian Victoria state PM reimposes stage three lock down for Melbourne hot spots

MELBOURNE, Jun 30, 2020, News.com.au. Coronavirus hot spots across Melbourne will be locked down under stage three restrictions, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced this afternoon, News.com.au reported.

Residents living in the following postcodes will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons: grocery shopping, care giving reasons, daily exercise and school or work purposes.

Those living in 3012, 3031, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3067 and 3064 will be affected.

Victoria Police will randomly pull over vehicles and ask motorists and passengers why they are out.

The restrictions come into effect from 11.59pm on Wednesday and will be in place until July 29.

A total of 928 people living in Melbourne’s coronavirus hot spots have refused to be tested for the deadly virus.

There have been 233 positive COVID-19 cases recorded in Melbourne’s hot spots since the suburban blitz started.

Mr Andrews said this was an “unacceptably high” figure.

Health crews have conducted 93,000 tests in the past three days in suburban hot spots, with 37,000 doors knocked on.

It comes after Victoria recorded 64 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the state’s total to 2159.

A total of 13 new cases were linked to outbreaks, 20 new cases through routine testing, 31 under investigation and no new cases in hotel quarantine.

There are a total of 321 active cases in Victoria.

Six new cases are part of the Stamford Plaza outbreak, taking the total to 29, while two new cases were linked to Albanvale Primary School, taking the total to seven.

One was a student who was a close contact of the original case, and the second is a household contact of a known case.

The Department of Health and Human Services has linked a new case to the outbreak at the Coles Chilled Distribution Centre in Laverton, taking that total to five.

Two staff at the StarTrack facility in Tullamarine have tested positive. Both worked while infectious.

Two cases were linked to the Hugo Boss store on Collins St in Melbourne where a staff member and a household contact tested positive, taking the total to three.

South Australia has dumped its plan to lift quarantine measures for Victoria, NSW and the ACT next month on the latest health advice.

Queensland has also today announced it will not allow Victorians from entering, with the state’s border opening on July 10 to all other territories and states except Victoria.