Victoria has broken its previous record for coronavirus cases by almost 200, confirming 723 new cases of coronavirus in the 24 hours to Thursday.
Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to hold a press conference at 11:00am.
The expected rise in cases comes as Victoria works to contain more than 80 outbreaks at nursing homes in the state.
Home visits banned, trips to the pub are still fine
Mr Andrews said while it might seem counter-intuitive, hospitality business will be able to remain open in the newly announced lockdown areas.
However, people will not be allowed to have visitors at their homes.
The Premier said its might sound odd you can go to the pub but not a friend’s place, but he said the data shows most of the transmissions are occurring in intimate settings.
New restrictions for regional Victoria
From midnight tonight restrictions will come into force in parts of regional Victoria including:
- Greater Geelong
- Surf Coast
- Moorabool
- Golden Plains
- Colac-Otway
- Borough of Queenscliffe
No visitors, no weddings or funerals.
Residents in these areas can still visit restaurants and cafes, attend community sport and visit gyms.
From midnight Sunday, face coverings will be mandatory in ALL of Victoria.
159 of the 255 confirmed coronavirus cases in regional Victoria have been in the above six local government areas.