Ballarat will go into lockdown from 11.59pm tonight. It will lift at midnight on Wednesday September 22.
Due to multiple wastewater detections, exposure sites and four positive cases, the City of Ballarat will go into a seven-day lockdown. This lockdown in Ballarat will have all the same restrictions as in metropolitan Melbourne, except for the curfew. Meanwhile, restrictions in Shepparton will lift, to match the rest of regional Victoria, from 11:59pm tonight.
A number of cases have been identified in Ballarat, and waste water detection indicates there may have been cases in the community for up to a week.
Please – follow the rules, get tested, check the exposure sites, isolate if you need to, and get vaccinated as soon as you can.
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 15, 2021
What does this mean for Ballarat?
According to the Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, all the cases in Ballarat are linked so far. Two of the cases are authorised workers who had come in from Melbourne.
During Ballarat’s lockdown, the five reasons to leave home will apply. Masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors and no visitors are permitted in the home.
“We know this will be disappointing for the Ballarat community, but we’d rather get on top of these cases, open up again as quickly as possible, than let cases get out of control in the area,” said Premier Dan Andrews.
On the advice of the Chief Health Officer, from 11.59pm tonight lockdown will end in the City of Shepparton, and the City of Ballarat will enter lockdown. pic.twitter.com/gUnEkk1rJs
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 15, 2021
What does this mean for Shepparton?
Shepparton will join the rest of regional Victoria out of lockdown. The five reasons to leave home will be removed. On top of that, there is no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home. However, if you are travelling to Melbourne from regional Victoria, lockdown restrictions will apply upon entry.
Meanwhile, the authorised worker list will no longer apply. Most businesses and venues, such as restaurants and cafes, can open with density limits. Retail, hairdressing, entertainment venues and community facilities will also have a cap on patrons. But, workers are advised that if you can work from home, you should work from home. Businesses, like restaurants or hairdressers, must check the IDs of everyone they serve, in order to prevent the virus travelling in from Melbourne.
Of course, masks will still be required indoors and outdoors, unless you’re in a private residence.
Schools will reopen for Prep to Grade 2, and Year 12 students. All other year levels will continue to do remote learning. However, vulnerable children and children of essential workers in all year levels can continue to have onsite supervision at schools.
Funerals will be able to hold up to 20 people and weddings will be able to hold 10. Stricter limits will be in place for weddings and funerals with Melburnians in attendance.
Victoria Police will conduct spot checks in regional Victoria to ensure that people from metropolitan Melbourne are not in the area, except for an authorised reason.
To see the list of exposure sites, click here.
See the Premier’s statement by clicking here.
To book a vaccine appointment, click here.