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Dark warning: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has signalled devastating Stage Four restrictions could be followed by 'Stage Five' if Victorians don't make it work 

Melbourne's unprecedented economic shutdown could be followed by even more draconian 'Stage Five' restrictions should the drastic measures announced today fail. 

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Monday that many of the city's shops and services would close, as his government launched a desperate bid to stamp out the city's second wave. 

The devastating measures Mr Andrews detailed will affect at least 250,000 people in a disastrous economic shock that will reverberate throughout the country.

But as he listed Victorian industries in three columns - those open, those with reduced output and those that will be closed for six weeks - Mr Andrews warned that further restrictions could follow if the state's efforts fail.  

In a statement, the Premier said: 'What is clear is that if we don't do this now, if this doesn't work, then we'll need a much longer list of complete shutdowns.

'It's hard to imagine what a Stage 5 might look like. But it would radically change the way people live.  

'Not just rules on when and where you can go shopping – but restrictions on going shopping at all.'

Victorians have lined up at supermarkets to buy meat and fish but Mr Andrews has moved to assure them that shoppers will be able to get what they need, and not to panic buy 

Shoppers queue into the distance outside a Costco in Melbourne to stock up ahead of Stage Four restrictions and a curfew on Sunday

When reporters pressed Mr Andrews on his reference to Stage Five, the Premier said he was 'being frank, being direct' with Victorians, about how he needed them to make Stage Four work. 

'The reason Stage 5 is mentioned is because there is no Stage 5. It doesn't work,' he said.

'Otherwise, we will have to develop a set of rules that will even further limit people's movement. I don't want to get to a situation where we've got to take those steps.

'That's not about - you know, you can be polite and not talk about those matters, but that's not the way that I operate. I'm being frank. I'm being direct. 

'I'm making it clear to people. We all have to follow these rules. We all have to accept that this is the reality we're now confronted by. We have to make this work. 

'Because we're, at best, uncertain what the next steps would be.'

Asked by reporters for details on just what such a dark scenario would entail, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton described further shutdowns as 'inconceivable'

'We're not thinking about a Stage Five, we're thinking about a successful Stage Four. We know it can work,' he said.'It does require everyone's cooperation.'

Quizzed further on why such a dark reference was included in the Premier's announcement if that was the case, Professor Sutton said: 'It's saying that the alternative is inconceivable. 

'We need everyone to do what's required now in order to get to where we want to be.' 

Economic bloodshed as Melbourne descends into Stage Four

Under Stage Four, department stores like Myer, David Jones, Target, Big W, and Kmart will all be forced to close - but can sell online and have customers pick up their orders. 

Bunnings will be closed to everyone except tradespeople, but as with retailers, other customers will be able to order online and pick up at the store. 

Supermarkets, grocery stores, butchers, bakers, chemists and other essential services will remain open. 

Also on the shutdown list are shops selling furniture, homewares, electircal, recreational goods, clothing and shoes, florists, and antiques.

Sales of vehicles, new and used, and car parts will close but mechanics allowed to stay open to keep essential services on the road.

Pharmacies, post offices, banks, petrol stations, bottle shops, and a small list of other businesses will be spared. 

Some shopping centres will stay open so customers can access supermarkets and other essential services but others will end up closing.

Cafes and restaurants will continue to provide takeaway services, but people will not be allowed to dine in. 

What will still be open in Melbourne Stage 4 

Supermarkets, bottle shops, petrol stations, pharmacies, post offices, banks

Retailers working onsite to fulfill online orders 

Hardware, building an garden supplies for trade

Specialist stationery for business use 

Motor vehicle parts for emergency repairs, mechanics

Locksmiths, laundry and dry cleaners, maternity supplies

Disability and health services and equipment, mobility devices 

Farms and commercial fishing

Vets, pounds and animal shelters

Construction of critical infrastructure and services to support those projects

Supermarkets will stay open

Critical repairs to homes where required for emergency or safety

Cafes and restaurants for takeaway

Media 

Critical service call centres

Medicare

Law enforcement and courts for urgent matters

Prisons, facilities for parolees, adult parole board, youth justice facilities

Emergency services

Essential maintenance and manufacturing

FULL LIST 

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Victoria recorded 671 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday (pictured). A Stage 4 lockdown will see nearly all shops close and high school students back to learning from home 

Premier Daniel Andrews brought in the escalated emergency level as the state's worsening crisis shows no signs of ending 

Melbourne's lockdown already involved an 8pm curfew, schools shut down, weddings banned, and citizens restricted to a 5km radius from their home. 

The harsher lockdown has prompted thousands to flock to shops across Melbourne in a new round of panic buying.

Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am - even though they would stay open under Stage 4. 

Mr Andrews said 'everything that is needed' is available.

'There is no need for people to go and shop for things in bulk, that sense of panic is simply misplaced, we don't need to do that.

'Supermarkets as well as grocery stores, the local fruit and veg, the local butcher, the baker, all of those shops, they will remain open.

'I can't guarantee that every single product and exactly the volumes that you might like to buy will be there, that there will be enough for people to get what they need. Not necessarily what they want, but get what they need.' 

Meet was one of the items people were trying to stock up on - likely freezing it for the weeks of lockdown to come

However, with meat stocks likely to be affected by the new restrictions, panic buyers snapping up meat to shove in their freezer could be on the money.

Abattoirs and fish markets will stay open with staff using full personal protective equipment, with the new rules severely curtailing their production, leading to potential shortages. 

They along with warehousing and distribution centres in Melbourne will be limited to no more than two-thirds the normal workforce allowed onsite at any one time. 

Stocks could run low at supermarkets, butchers, and even at fast food outlets that source their meat from within metropolitan Melbourne. 

'Whether every single item you might normally buy will be on the shelves, I can't guarantee,' Mr Andrews admitted. 

'Meat works, we know that meat works are a really significant challenge for us. Whether it be lamb, poultry or beef, they will move to two thirds production, reduce their production by one third,' Mr Andrews said.  

One of the biggest outbreaks in the first wave on infections was at the Cedar Meats abattoir, which likely weighed heavily in government decision making.

Australia's coronavirus outbreak is rapidly spiralling out of control because of the second wave of infections in Victoria

Woolworths on Sunday put two-item restrictions on more than 50 products as shoppers started to clean out shelves across Victoria yet again. 

Call centres were singled out after an outbreak among Centrelink phone workers last month, and the close quarters they often work in. 

Entire industries will be forced to turn off the switch across everything from mining to forestry, and almost all non-food shops.

Hairdressers will also be forced to close as will ordinary retail stores such as electrical and clothing. 

Construction will also be hit hard with as few as five workers allowed on site to keep building for the next six weeks.

Government infrastructure projects will have workers cut in half and any building three storeys or higher to just 25 per cent of normal.

House building will have to carry on with just five workers on site at a time. 

Mr Andrews said the state will not beat the virus 'inless we have literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people at home and not going to work.

'Hundreds of thousands less movements around the community each and every day, then we will not pull this virus up.'

Tradies will also suffer along with builders as anything other than emergency repairs, such as broken gas heaters and plumbing, is banned.

'There'll be no cleaners going to your house. There'll be no-one mowing your lawns,' Mr Andrews said.

'There'll be no-one providing anything other other than emergency support. If you need a plumber because a pipe has burst, then yes, you can have a plumber come and do that work.

'But it's not the time to be painting your house or having unnecessary, non-urgent work happen.'    

Businesses in regional Victoria can apply for a $5,000 grant and those in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire can apply for up to $10,000 in recognition of spending longer under restrictions.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $1,500 paid pandemic leave disaster payment which, for now, will support Victorian workers only. 

The payment will be available to workers who have exhausted or do not have sick leave and are required to stay home due to a public health officer's directions.  

Stage 4 began last night and will continue until September 13 unless cases miraculously and consistently plummet before that date.

Regional Victoria will go back into Stage 3 lockdown from 11.59pm on Wednesday as the virus spreads beyond hardest-hit Melbourne.

Melbourne's curfew is in effect between 8pm and 5am every day, with the only reasons to leave home during these hours attending work, medical care and caregiving.

Only one person in a household can go shopping per day and exercise is limited to one hour a day - both must be within 5km from home.

Shelves were picked clean as Melburnians feared the lockdown would make it difficult for them to buy food

The vegetable aisle at this Woolworths is cleaned out - but veggies will not be affected by the lockdown the same way meat is likely to be

All recreational activity is banned and no more than two people can be together outside, even if they are from the same family or household.

'That means it's fresh air. It's a jog. It's a walk. It's in your local neighbourhood. It is staying close to home or in your home,' Mr Andrews said on Sunday.

He admitted the one-hour limit wouldn't be enforceable, but that police would be vigilant about the 5km as 'you are or you aren't' close enough. 

The premier said the extremely tight restrictions was necessary to prevent to the lockdown dragging on until Christmas.

'Six weeks versus a slower strategy. A much, much slower strategy that takes up to six months,' he said.

A shopper loads up a big trolley at Aldi as panic buying set in on Sunday afternoon

Huge trolleys were a common sight at supermarkets across Melbourne as shoppers rushed to get goods hours before lockdown

Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am

Partners who don't live together will still be able to visit each other, even if they live more than 5km apart.

Weddings are completely banned and though funerals can go ahead, only 10 people can travel from Melbourne to regional Victoria to attend one.

Melbourne school students - about a million children - will have to learn remotely unless their parents are essential workers, or they are vulnerable children who need to learn face-to-face.

They attended school today, will have a pupil free day on Tuesday, and be learning at home from Wednesday.

The General Achievement Test for year 12 students will be moved from the end of term three to the start of term four.

The VCE exam dates will not change, finishing by December 2 as planned and ATAR results handed out by the end of the year.

Kindy and pre-primary students will go home from Thursday, and childcare centres will be closed for children whose parents aren't essential workers.

Mr Andrews warned that police would no longer issue cautions or show leniency, they will just fine people $1,652 or drag them before courts.

Bourke Street in the heart of Melbourne resembled a ghost town on Sunday night as the tough new curfew kicked in at 8pm

Protective Service Officers patrol Swanston street before a citywide curfew was introduced in Melbourne