Benjamin Millar
Moorabool has joined metropolitan Melbourne in lockdown after a surge in regional COVID-19 cases triggered statewide restrictions over the weekend.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the snap lockdown on Saturday morning, citing the ongoing level of community transmission, the large number of mystery cases and a surge of new cases and exposures sites in regional Victoria.
Mr Andrews said the number of coronavirus cases infectious in the community over the last few days and the number of mystery cases emerging in different areas across Victoria is extremely concerning.
“It shows the incredible speed at which this Delta variant is spreading,” he said.
“With the number of positive cases this high and so many Victorians still to be vaccinated, we cannot afford to let this virus run free – our hospital system would be overrun, our frontline staff would be placed under huge pressure and quite simply, people will die.”
Victoria now has more than 500 active COVID-19 cases, including 24 in Melton but zero in Moorabool.
There were 71 new local cases reported on Monday, 49 linked to known outbreaks and 22 still under investigation.
Regional Victoria is now under all of the metropolitan Melbourne restrictions except for the curfew until at least September 2, with the the five reasons to leave your home in force and workforce permits required to leave the house for authorised work.
A package of automatic cash grants will be provided to 20,000 regional Victorian businesses.
Jointly funded by the Federal and state governments, grants to be paid through the new $146.6 million initiative will be made automatically without regional businesses needing to make an application.
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said the package will provide assurance to businesses in regional Victoria.
“No-one wanted to be in this position, but the rapid spread of the Delta strain and the emergence of cases in regional Victoria meant there was no choice,” Mr Pallas said.
