Victorians anxiously wait to find out how much longer they will be trapped in their FIFTH lockdown after Dan Andrews confirmed it will be extended - as 13 new cases are detected
- Victoria's fifth lockdown in 16 months will be extended due to new Covid cases
- Premier Daniel Andrews will announce more details in Tuesday's Covid briefing
- Almost 16,000 close contacts isolating as list of exposure sites swells past 270
- Victoria recorded 13 locally-acquired cases on Tuesday from 49,454 tests
Millions of anxious Victorians will soon find out how much longer they'll be in lockdown, as the state recorded 13 new coronavirus cases.
The entire state was plunged into a snap five-day lockdown last week after a NSW outbreak of the highly contagious Delta strain crossed the border.
The lockdown was scheduled to end at midnight on Tuesday but will be extended at least another two days after Victoria recorded 16 cases on Monday, followed by another 13 on Tuesday.
This is Victoria's fifth lockdown since the pandemic hit Australia's shores this year and the third one so far in 2021.
Almost 16,000 close contacts have been ordered to isolate for 14 days while the growing list of exposure sites has surged past 270, which includes regional venues.
Premier Daniel Andrews will announce more details on Tuesday morning but has already confirmed an extension of the hardline restrictions.
Victorians will be in lockdown for longer than first planned after 16 new cases on Monday. Pictured are Melbournians getting some fresh air
All of Victoria was plunged into lockdown after a NSW outbreak crossed the border. Pictured are health workers at a testing clinic in Melbourne
He says Victoria risked 'a few days of sunshine' for a prolonged lockdown if restrictions were lifted too early.
'There is an ongoing challenge for all of us, but we will not be ready to lift these restrictions at midnight tomorrow night,' the Premier told reporters on Monday.
'To do so, would not be the right thing to do. I know this is not the news people want to hear but we have to do the right thing.'
'It would be perhaps a few days of sunshine and then a very high chance of being back in lockdown again.'
Almost 49,500 Victorians came forward for testing on Monday while another 17,083 rolled up their sleeves for the Covid-19 jab.
Two overseas-acquired cases currently in hotel quarantine were also recorded.
Mr Andrews stopped short of saying for how long the restrictions would be extended, leaving that for an announcement on Tuesday morning.
'This lockdown will be on only for as long as it needs to be, not a moment longer,' he said.
'I do not want to be in a situation where we failed to extinguish this and these chains of transmission, only to open an event, for it to be closed again a short time thereafter. That is not right.'
This is Victoria's fifth lockdown since the pandemic hit Australia's shores this year and the third one so far in 2021
A Melbourne resident made their feelings known of what they think of the lockdown extension
The department of health had announced 12 new cases on Monday morning - before four more cases were confirmed later in the day.
'All four have been tucked away in isolation for 100 per cent of their time. That is a trend we want to see continue,' Mr Andrews said.
The border between Victoria and New South Wales also remains a concern for health authorities as Sydney continues to grapple with its outbreak with 98 new cases on Monday.
'Even this outbreak, as convex and challenging as it is, until it is dealt with and case numbers in Sydney reduce, we have an ongoing challenge in terms of defending that border to the north,' Mr Andrews said.
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The state premier said he was confident about plunging the state into lockdown sooner rather than later - like Sydney - claiming the outbreak could have been much worse.
'I'm confident we will face that reality open as opposed to closed which is where Sydney finds itself now and for the foreseeable future,' he said.
'We wish them well. There is no sense of criticism. If they have a problem, the whole country has a problem and that is why I wish them well in their efforts.'
Melbourne residents will now prepare to go into an extended lockdown which was due to end at 11.59pm on Tuesday
The new cases came after 54,839 tests were conducted and 14,758 vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 81 active cases across Victoria.
There are 15,800 close contacts in Victoria with thousands connected to major exposure sites across the state.
More than 3,000 are linked to the MCG, 1,800 to AAMI Park stadium, 2,300 to Trinity Grammar and 2,700 to Bacchus Marsh Grammar.
'There's still many tests to be taken, many tests that are in the labs, and we won't get the results of those today and probably into tomorrow,' Mr Andrews said.
All the new cases recorded in Victoria are linked to the current outbreaks of the Delta variant in the state, which originated in NSW.
A store keeper wearing a mask hands over an order in the deli section of the Queen Victoria Market
