Victoria reimposes coronavirus stage 3 lockdown on metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire after record rise in cases

Victoria will reimpose stage three restrictions for six weeks in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire in a bid to slow a rapid spread of coronavirus.

Key points: Premier Daniel Andrews says the state is on the cusp of something "very, very bad"

Premier Daniel Andrews says the state is on the cusp of something "very, very bad" There were 191 new cases confirmed today, including 154 which are under investigation

There were 191 new cases confirmed today, including 154 which are under investigation VCE and specialist school students will return to classrooms next week, while all other students in the restricted areas will get another week of holidays

Premier Daniel Andrews announced the stay-at-home orders would be reimposed from midnight tomorrow night.

The new restrictions are expected to affect about 5 million people.

There were 191 new confirmed cases announced today, with 37 linked to known outbreaks and the remaining 154 under investigation.

Mr Andrews said the new restrictions were the result of the "unacceptably" high number of new cases.

"It is simply impossible, with case rates at these levels, to have enough contract tracing staff to have enough physical resources … in order to suppress and contain this virus without taking significant steps," he said.

Mr Andrews said a sense of complacency had contributed to the spread of the virus.

He said said people acting as if the pandemic was over was "not the answer, it is part of the problem".

He said the virus had leaked from postcodes already under the stay-at-home orders to other parts of Melbourne.

"We know we are on the cusp of something very, very bad if we don't take these steps today," he said.

Cafes, bars and restaurants will return to being takeaway only under the restrictions. ( ABC News: Ron Ekkel )

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there was a "unanimous view" on the need to impose the new restrictions.

"This is required to avoid absolutely catastrophic outcomes, indeed thousands of cases per day," he said.

"I know that we will already see deaths from the cases that we have occurring every day. What I do not want to see is any more deaths than are already predicted."

Professor Sutton said there were currently about 5,000 close contacts of the state's active cases — thousands of people who were potentially infected.

The Premier warns the virus will "kill thousands of people if it gets completely away from us".

"That will be more than inconvenient. It will be tragic," he said.

He said the six-week timeframe was decided at National Cabinet and would allow the right amount of data to be collected so health authorities would know if the suppression strategy was working.

Mr Andrews said he spoke to the Prime Minister earlier today and asked for a further 260 Australian Defence Force personnel to help with on the ground support alongside Victoria Police.

Where is Metropolitan Melbourne? Metropolitan Melbourne, also known as Greater Melbourne, includes 31 municipalities

Metropolitan Melbourne, also known as Greater Melbourne, includes 31 municipalities They are: Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra and Yarra Ranges

They are: Banyule, Bayside, Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, Melbourne, Melton, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Stonnington, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra and Yarra Ranges The Mitchell Shire, including towns such as Broadford and Wallan, is not part of Metropolitan Melbourne but is covered by the lockdown

Cafes, restaurants back to just takeaway

The Mitchell Shire, north of Melbourne, includes the towns of Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour, Tallarook, Pyalong and Wallan.

The Premier said the area was experiencing "unsustainable numbers of positive cases".

Under the stage three restrictions, people are only allowed to leave their homes for four main reasons: work or study, exercise, shopping for supplies and medical care and caregiving.

Mr Andrews said the restrictions would be slightly different to those imposed across the state in May.

People will not be allowed to leave the locked-down areas for exercise and no-one will be able to go into a second home outside of metropolitan Melbourne.

Retail and hairdressers will remain open, but cafes, restaurants and pubs within the restricted zones will return to takeaway only.

"We will do everything we can to support business, anyone and everybody who is impacted by this," Mr Andrews said.

"I know and understand how significant [closing again] will be.

"This is going to be with us for a very long time."

He said $5,000 grants made available to businesses in suburbs already under restrictions would be extended to other areas.

School break extended for prep to year 10 students in lockdown

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 56 seconds 1 m 56 s The Premier said VCE students would return to school next week. Other children will have their holiday break extended by five days.

Specialist school and VCE students — those in years 11 and 12 — in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire will return to school as normal next week.

"Older students are able to maintain physical distancing and can be much more careful getting to and from school," Mr Andrews said.

Year 10 students doing VCE subjects will be able to attend school for those subjects.

Many students only returned to the classroom in late May. ( ABC News: Simon Tucci )

Other students will have the school holiday period extended by one week.

Mr Andrews said further announcements about term three for those in prep to year 10 would be made soon.

Restrictions a result of hotel quarantine 'failure', Opposition says

Last week, the Premier revealed genomic sequencing linked a number of new infections back to breaches of protocols in the state-run hotel quarantine program.

The use of private security contractors to oversee returned travellers has come under criticism and prompted calls for ministers to resign.

Security contractors working at the Stamford Plaza and Rydges on Swanston hotels contracted the virus. ( ABC News: Simon Tucci )

"This failure, this lockdown, is as a result of problems in hotel quarantine," Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said.

"Daniel Andrews let the COVID-19 genie out of the bottle with hotel quarantine bungles and now everyone's paying the price for it.

"This is going to be devastating for so many families, so many small businesses, so many jobs that just may not be there in six weeks' time."

A $3 million judicial inquiry, run by former judge Justice Jennifer Coate, will investigate how the deadly virus made its way from the state-run quarantine program into the community.

Aim for lockdown towers to be on 'same footing' as rest of Melbourne

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 45 seconds 45 s An angry woman confronts police outside a locked-down public housing tower at North Melbourne.

About 3,000 residents of nine public housing towers in Flemington and Kensington are currently under strict "detention orders", meaning they are forbidden from leaving their homes.

There are now 69 infections linked to the estates.

Stage three restrictions: The rules mean you have to stay at home except for: Shopping for food and essential items

Shopping for food and essential items Medical care and caregiving

Medical care and caregiving Work and study — if you can't do it from home

Work and study — if you can't do it from home Exercise — but don't leave or enter restricted areas

Concerns have been raised about the sudden nature of the lockdown and the delivery of essential services to the locked-down residents, many of whom are vulnerable.

The tower lockdown could last at least 14 days, but the Premier said the strategy was to have the residents on "the same footing" as the rest of Melbourne as soon as possible.

"We may have to put [in] some very specialised and targeted support for those people who test positive," he said.

"This is not going to last for a moment longer than it needs to.

"They are challenging measures but they are proportionate to the risk."

Mr Andrews said hundreds of staff were going door to door to talk to people and ask residents to be tested.

He said priority was being given to the tests from tower residents.