The announcement was made by Premier Daniel Andrews, with residents prevented from leaving their homes for any purpose other than work, food, exercise or medical care from midnight on Wednesday 7th of July.
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While term 3 is expected to kick off on Monday, schools in affected areas will not be reopening their doors. This means hundreds of thousands of children will be forced to go back to long-distance learning (with the exception of senior secondary students and special schools who will return to lessons as usual.)
"Based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer and across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, Stage 3 "Stay at Home" restrictions will be reinstated from 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 July," Andrews said in the press conference.
"For six weeks, and if you live in these areas, there'll be only four reasons to leave your home: Shopping for food and essential items. Care and caregiving. Daily exercise. Work and study - if you can't do it from home. Otherwise: Stay home. Stay home. Stay home. In case it needs repeating, stay home. We are fighting a global and deadly pandemic."
This directive applies to principal places of residence, meaning no escaping to holiday homes.
"And because we need to limit the spread of the virus across our state, there will only be three reasons to cross the border of these metropolitan areas: Shopping for food and essential items. Care and caregiving. Work and study - if you can't do it from home," Andrews added.
Updates as we have them.
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