Coronavirus In Australia: Victoria Lockdown Could Be Reintroduced, Says Premier Daniel Andrews

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Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews says a state-wide lockdown could be reintroduced as the number of active coronavirus cases rises to 127. 

With 17 new cases overnight – 11 of which health authorities don’t know where they came from – Andrews said “everybody will pay the price” if social distancing and COVID-19 precautions are not followed.

“It doesn’t matter how many people are doing the wrong thing – everybody, everybody will pay the price if we get to a point where restrictions either localised or across the state need to be re-introduced,” he told media on Tuesday.

Addressing households who haven’t been obeying the five-guest rule, he said, “We have seen many families, large families, who have gathered in numbers beyond the rules.

“That is just not on. It is not acceptable. Particularly if anybody in those family groupings has even mild symptoms – let alone if anybody in those family groupings has been told to quarantine as a close contact, or even a positive case.

Door-knocks are now being carried out by local authorities to check on people who are supposed to self-isolating.

“I can also confirm for you that there is literally an army of people going out door knocking,” said the Premier.

“There will be hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people from our expanded public health team out there door knocking in hot spot suburbs and other areas if that’s deemed appropriate.

“They will do that job in providing public health advice and making sure that everybody, where language and other issues like that won’t be a barrier.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has asked people to reconsider travel plans to Victoria.

“You should not be travelling to Melbourne at this time because of the rate of community transmission,’’ she said.

“Do not go interstate. My advice is even stronger, do not go down there.”