5.15pm
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Andrews said if the outbreak tracks the right way, parts of the state may be released from lockdown early.
"At this stage, a statewide lockdown was put to me as essential," he said. "It may be able to release as we, hopefully, get large numbers of negative tests.
"(We may) be able to let thousands of people isolating out and maybe large parts of regional Victoria to something that is close to normal.
"It won't be about case numbers, it will be how many exposure days people have had in the community before testing positive."
Read more:
Mr Andrews said the lockdown was recommended to him by the chief health officer and his health team.
"The advice to me - from the public health team - is that it needs to be five days," he said. "I'm not prepared to wait for the sake of convenience...
"Nothing about this virus is fair. I cannot guarantee (the lockdown end) will be Tuesday night but we will work as hard as we can to make sure it is Tuesday night.
"We are confident we can get, not just around it, but out in front of it."
Mr Andrews said he expected schools to have a difficult day tomorrow but that remote learning would be possible from Monday until the lockdown is lifted.
"Schools will do their very best tomorrow to provide support and as close to a regular curriculum and regular school day as possible," Mr Andrews said.
"With the benefit of the weekend and tomorrow, we will have two days of full remote learning on Monday and Tuesday and we will have our schools in place on Wednesday."
5pm
Victoria will be plunged into its fifth lockdown from 11.59pm Thursday in an effort to combat a growing number of cases and high-risk exposure sites.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the new five-day lockdown at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
"It is with heavy heart but with necessity and determination to beat this Delta strain as we did a few weeks ago," he said.
"The chief health officer and the public health team have recommended to lock Victoria down from 11.59pm tonight (Thursday) to 11.59pm next Tuesday night.
More news:
"It is a repeat of the successful strategy we had a couple of weeks ago."
Mr Andrews said the five reasons to leave home during a lockdown would be in place - shopping for essential items, exercise, providing care, getting medical care and getting a vaccination.
"They are the same four from last year plus going to get vaccinated," he said. "One person per house can leave for things you need when you need them and you can't go outside the five-kilometre radius for exercise."
The lockdown follows tightened restrictions that were introduced Wednesday night which included masks being worn in all indoor settings and outdoors where social distancing is not possible.
Mr Andrews said there were also two new coronavirus cases since testing commander Jeroen Weimar spoke to media this morning.
The two new cases bring the total number of cases attached to the outbreak to 18.
"Of two new cases, one was in the MCC reserve and an attendee of the Geelong-Carlton game," Mr Weimar said. "The other new case is a personal contact of a person living in the in Ariele apartment buildings. They do not live at the apartment buildings."
There are also 75 exposure sites, 1500 primary contacts and 5000 secondary contacts attached to the outbreak.
Two new coronavirus cases were identified early Thursday, both linked to the MCG.
Those two cases were in addition to the 10 reported in the past 24 hours.
The Health Department announced seven of the 10 cases on Wednesday morning, while later in the day Bacchus Marsh Grammar confirmed one of its staff members had also tested positive to the coronavirus.
It is understood two of the staff member's family members also tested positive, bringing the total to 10.
A full list of the COVID-19 exposure sites are found here.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News