Overview
As announced by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday, those all-too-familiar lockdowns will be reintroduced for the whole of metropolitan Melbourne, as well as Mitchell Shire, coming into effect for six weeks from 11.59pm tonight, Wednesday, July 8. The Victorian Government's move comes as the state recorded its highest ever new COVID-19 case totals for two consecutive days: 127 on July 6, followed by 191 yesterday.
The decision will see the affected areas return to a state of lockdown similar to what was in place at stage three of Victoria's COVID-19 restrictions in late March. That means residents are only allowed to leave home for one of four reasons: for work or school (if you can't do this from home), for care or care giving, for daily exercise or for food and other essentials. Only the exercise situation is a little more strict than last time, with people not permitted to venture beyond the metropolitan Melbourne area.
So, what exactly is metropolitan Melbourne and which areas does it include? Well, according to the Government, the soon-to-be-locked-down region spreads over 9990-square-km and is home to 4.9 million people.
Metropolitan Melbourne via Live Melbourne
Metropolitan Melbourne includes 31 of Victoria's 79 local government areas (LGAs), including 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. As for Mitchell Shire, the 32 LGA, which is also included in the lockdown, it's an area north of Melbourne with approximately 49,000 residents.
Unsure what LGA you're in? You can punch in your address over on this Victorian Government website.
If you call one of these spots home, the new stay-at-home orders apply to your household from midnight tonight, continuing for the next six weeks. Restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes located within the areas will be allowed to open only for takeaway and delivery services. The region's indoor sports centres and gyms will shut their doors, as will salons and personal care services, with the exception of barbers and hairdressers. Libraries, galleries, cinemas and museums, many of which had just reopened, will also be closed for the duration of the lockdown.
Stay-at-home orders for all of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will come into place at 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 8 for at least six weeks. For more information, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.