Goya Dmytryshchak and Benjamin Millar
Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay have more than 35 active COVID-19 cases between them as the state government reintroduced a stage 3 lockdown across metropolitan Melbourne.
As of Tuesday, Maribyrnong had 21 active cases and Hobsons Bay had 17.
Hume had the most active cases in the state with 145.
The state yesterday recorded its worst day since the pandemic began in Australia, with 191 new cases, taking total cases to 2824, including 772 active.
Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday it was clear Victoria was “on the cusp of our second wave”.
“I know a lot of people aren’t scared because this feels like something happening to other people in other parts of the world.
“But you should be scared of this. I’m scared of this. “We all should be.”
Under the strict new guidelines, no visitors are allowed in people’s houses, public gatherings will be restricted to two people outside your household.
The only reason people in the locked down areas will be allowed to leave their homes will be for shopping for essential items and food, medical reasons and caregiving, work and study, and exercise.
School holidays, due to end this week, will be extended by a week, other than for years 11 and 12 and special needs students.
Retail shops will remain open subject to the one person per four square metres rule, as will food markets and hairdressers.
Cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars will be takeaway only.
“This is not where any of us wanted to be but we have to face the reality of our situation,” Mr Andrews said.
“To do anything else would have deadly consequences.
“For every restriction that you break and all the health advice that you ignore – the consequences may be someone’s life.”
A worker at Altona Gate shopping centre in Altona North was among new cases at the weekend.
Centre management issued a statement on Monday that the Telstra store employee, who had been asymptomatic, last worked in the shop on Tuesday, June 30.
Woolworths was forced to cancel some online delivery orders after a staff member at its Customer Fulfilment Centre in West Footscray tested positive.
The worker was asymptomatic and undertook mandatory temperature checks during all shifts. They last worked at the site on July 1 and are in self-isolation.
One new case has been diagnosed at the JBS abattoir in Brooklyn. The department’s outbreak squad on Monday visited the site and all staff are being tested.
Another new case has been linked to Footscray’s Orygen Youth outbreak, which now includes two healthcare workers and a close contact.
Students from Kingsville Primary School in Yarraville and Emmanuel College’s St Paul’s campus in Altona North were advised to stay home during the school holidays after pupils tested positive for COVID-19.
Pupils from the school’s Notre Dame campus in Point Cook who attended classes at Altona North have also been told to remain at home while contact tracing occurs.
A year 6 student at Queen of Peace Parish Primary School in Altona Meadows, who last attended school on June 18, also tested positive.
