Melbourne will remain in lockdown for another week as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
All restrictions remain in place, however, the travel radius will be expanded to 10km from 11:59pm Thursday.
Acting Premier James Merlino said the decision was based on the advice from the Chief Health Officer.
“On the advice of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, the current restrictions will remain in place in Melbourne for a further seven days, with some small changes,” said Merlino.
“This will give us a full 14 days – one full cycle of the virus – to make sure we understand how and where this mutation is moving.”
Hospitality venues will be forced to rely on takeaway and delivery for another week, however the government has expanded support packages.
The Acting Premier confirmed there would be an additional $209 million in grants provided to businesses on top of the initial support package.
Meanwhile, regional Victoria will likely see restrictions lift. “We’ll … continue tracing and testing to confirm this change can go ahead,” said Merlino.
From 11:59pm Thursday 3 June, restaurants and cafes can reopen with a maximum of 50 patrons.
Travel restrictions will also be lifted along with the five reasons to leave home. Regional Victorians will be able to travel in regional Victoria, but Melburnians will not.
Tougher QR code requirements will also be implemented, with all patrons entering a shop or cafe needing to check in.
