The City of Greater Bendigo residents are being encouraged to pay their rates online instead of in person, with full payments due during a five-day lockdown.

The city's customer service centres in Bendigo and Heathcote will be closed from midnight due to the lockdown.

People will have to go online, call or send and email for customer service until the restrictions ease.

"Rates can still be paid at Australia Post outlets or Bendigo Bank branches during the lockdown," the City of Greater Bendigo said in a statement.

Late fees for rates payments will be waived during the lockdown.

More news: Hospitality venues to suffer as lockdown sees bookings cancelled

The Long Gully Splash Park and indoor and outdoor swimming pools will also be shut, as will the Bendigo Art Gallery, visitor centres, and theatres.

Immunisation sessions will also be closed.

Outdoor play spaces will remain open, as will the Helen Jessen and Annie Galvin Early Learning Centres.

Waste, recycling and organics kerbside collections will continue, as will the Eaglehawk Landfill and transfer stations at Heathcote, Strathfieldsaye, and Goornong.

The City of Greater Bendigo has asked that only one caregiver attend Maternal and Child Health Services, which will remain open. Telephone appointments will also be available, if families prefer.

The city has encouraged people to call 5434 6000 during office hours or head to www.bendigo.vic.gov.au for more information.

4.30pm

Woolworths and Coles supermarkets have re-introduced product limits on essential products following the announcement of Victoria's five-day lockdown.

Woolworths Victoria assistant state manager John Di Tirro said the limits ensured fair access to products for everyone.

"We understand this is an anxious time for Victorians, but we want to reassure customers we will remain open as an essential service," he said.

"We have plenty of stock to draw on from our suppliers and distribution centres and our team will be hard at work making sure it flows into our stores in large volumes over the coming days.

"We encourage Victorian to be mindful of others in the community and to continue shopping as they usually would."

Grocery products limited to two per customer include antibacterial wipes, canned fish, canned tomatoes, canned legumes, canned vegetables, flour, frozen chips, including gems and wedges, frozen desserts, frozen fruit, frozen vegetables, longlife milk, longlife specialty milk, liquid handwash, noodles, pasta, paper towels, rice, sugar, tissues, toilet paper.

Fresh produce that is limited to two items per customer include bread loaves (including in-store), chilled pasta, eggs, fresh milk (excluding flavoured) and meat.

Coles chief operations officer Matt Swindells said the business had well-established safety protocols in Victoria based on what we have learned from COVID restrictions implemented in other states.

"Taking these immediate and additional safety measures will protect and ensure our customers and team members can feel safe in our stores," he said.

"We have also increased the number of team members in stores and expanded our Coles Online capacity to help serve customers quickly and safely during this busy time.

"We appreciate our customers for their patience and for treating our team members with respect as we work through this challenging time together."

Coles has limited toilet paper and paper towel to one pack per person.

There is a two pack per customer limit on fresh white milk, hand sanitiser, chilled pasta, liquid soaps, poultry thighs, poultry breasts, tissues, mince, burgers, frozen vegetables, sausages, frozen chips, long-life milk, canned meals, pasta, canned fish, flour, canned vegetables, rice, pre-packed seafood, sugar, noodles, eggs and face masks.

Earlier

Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state will enter a five-day lockdown, effective from 11:59pm today.

The "circuit breaker" comes after an emergency cabinet meeting.

Victorians will re-enter stage four restrictions under the lockdown.

There will be four reasons to leave home - shopping for essentials, for care and caregiving, for exercise and for work, if it is essential.

People will be restricted to exercising and shopping within five kilometres of their home.

Masks will need to be worn whenever leaving home.

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Public gatherings will not be able to go ahead and visitors to the home are not permitted, other than intimate partners.

A maximum of two people are allowed for exercise, or members of the same household.

One person per household is allowed to go shopping, once per day, with a support person if required.

Childcares and kindergartens will remain open, but school students will need to learn from home, if they can.

Universities and TAFES will close and students will return to remote learning.

Cafes and restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway services.

Non-essential shops will close, as will gyms, pools, community centres, entertainment venues and libraries.

Hairdressing, beauty and personal care services will be closed.

Weddings will need to be postponed and funerals will be limited to 10 people.

Accommodation providers will be able to stay open to existing guests, but no new bookings can be made.

People who can work from home will be expected to do so.

The measures are expected to be lifted at 11:59pm on Wednesday.

"If we wait to be absolutely we have a problem then that will be too late. We have to use an abundance of caution," Mr Andrews said, in announcing the restrictions.

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He said the measures were needed because the virus was moving at a velocity not previously seen anywhere in the country.

People linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport outbreak have the highly infectious UK virus variant.

Mr Andrews said the measures were needed to prevent a third wave of COVID-19 infections, rather than to respond to one.

He acknowledged there was no evidence of any cases in regional Victoria

"And that's how we want to keep it," Mr Andrews said.

"I don't want this thing to go from Melbourne to regional Victoria."

Related: Victoria's active COVID-19 infections rise to 19

He said a "ring of steel" would have been established if the lockdown was a longer-term proposition.

There are 19 cases of COVID-19 active in Victoria, five of which were added to the tally in the past 24-hours.

All of the new cases were linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport.

The Holiday Inn outbreak has 13 cases.

Mr Andrews acknowledged many people would be concerned and anxious about the strengthened restrictions.

"I'm not pleased to have to make these decisions but I've got the advice and I have to act on it," he said.

"If we do what we know how to do, we can avoid a longer lockdown. We can avoid a third wave."

He said the UK virus variant was something very different from what the state had encountered before, and moved much faster.

"This thing is not the 2020 virus," Mr Andrews said.

The Bendigo HeadtoHelp hub made some suggestions for those who might be feeling anxious about COVID-19 last week, when the state recorded its first case of community transmission in almost a month.

Hub manager Janaya Wiggins encouraged people to talk to their loved ones about how they were feeling and to seek support.

HeadtoHelp hubs were established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on mental health.

Ms Wiggins said the service could help with coping strategies for people who were feeling stressed or anxious.

"That's exactly what we're here for," she said.

She said the hub could usually offer appointments on the same day or next day, depending on the person's needs.

More news: Website set up to help people connect

HeadtoHelp is a free service and offers in-person and telehealth services. The Bendigo hub, based at Bendigo Community Health Services in Kangaroo Flat, recently expanded its operating hours.

Ms Wiggins said people could also contact their GP for support.

People between the ages of 12 and 25 could contact headspace Bendigo.

Ms Wiggins encouraged people who might find following the news too overwhelming to take a break and to ask a friend or family member to let them know about any important updates.

"If you're worrying about anything at all, talk to somebody," Ms Wiggins said.

For further information about HeadtoHelp, visit headtohelp.org.au. To book an appointment, call 1800 595 212.

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