By Melissa Meehan and Jed Lanyon
Victoria will go into a statewide lockdown as the state battles with a growing Covid-19 cluster.
The entire state will go into a seven day lockdown from midnight tonight and will be in place until midnight on 3 June.
Acting Premier James Merlino said the lockdown would last for seven day and there were now only five reasons to leave home.
This includes:
Essential shopping
Approved work/education
Exercise (2 hours a day)
Caregiving/ medical/ compassionate grounds
Vaccination
Victorians engaging in exercise and shopping activities cannot leave the 5km radius from their homes.
Kindergartens and childcare will remain open, but schools will return to remote learning. Remote learning will not apply for vulnerable students, or children of essential workers.
Restaurants and pubs can open for takeaway only. Other retail can open for click and collect only.
Mr Merlino said that 34 active cases were recorded across the state following a day of 40,000 plus tests conducted, the most ever in a single day for the state.
He urged those eligible to receive their vaccine and said it was the “only pathway through this pandemic”.
“The best thing we can do is get vaccinated when we’re eligible… If more people were vaccinated we might be facing a very different set of circumstances than we are today but sadly we are not.”
As of tomorrow, Victorians aged 40-49 can receive the vaccine in a bid to boost Victoria’s vaccine roll out.
People aged 40-49 years, who will receive the Pfizer vaccine, must book an appointment by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 – and can do so now – this is essential as not all vaccination centres will have the Pfizer vaccine available.
Victorians aged 50 years and over will continue to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, either through a state-run vaccination centre or a participating GP clinic – as recommended by ATAGI.
While many vaccination centres are accepting walk-in appointments for people aged 50 years and over, bookings via the 1800 675 398 hotline are preferred.
