A final call on extending Victoria's "circuit breaker" lockdown could soon be handed down after state government and health officials reportedly discussed options into the night.
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It comes as Victorian outbreak numbers continue to grow.
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A state government spokeswoman declined to confirm details to AAP but a final call could be ticked off as early as Wednesday morning.
The concerning spread of the Indian variant has also prompted authorities to encourage visitors to 14 shopping hubs across Melbourne over the past two weeks to come forward for testing.
Three more cases were added to the state's tally on Tuesday, bringing the total number connected to outbreak up to 54, plus other unrelated cases.
Most are community transmissions and health authorities are increasingly concerned by the speed that the virus appears to have passed between strangers during brief visits to sites in Melbourne.
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Meanwhile, new economic research has revealed that Bendigo had fully recovered from the first lockdown just months before the latest one took effect.
It is unclear exactly how hard the current lockdown will impact the economy, but February's snap one week Victorian lockdown did not drive Bendigo's economic outlook backwards.
Civic leaders have told the Bendigo Advertiser they would welcome a return of 'ring of steel' restrictions barring travellers from Melbourne if it will keep a wider outbreak out of town.
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