Melbourne towers: Residents emerge from hard lockdown – except Alfred St

Thousands of residents from eight of the Melbourne towers have been freed from their hard lockdown, now joining the rest of the city in stage three restrictions.

But one tower, 33 Alfred Street in North Melbourne, will remain in lockdown due to a high number of cases.

More than 10 per cent of those residents have tested positive to COVID-19.

People in that block who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, or are a close contact, are being encouraged to take up the opportunity of leaving and staying in a hotel until they are cleared.

There are no confirmed cases at 9 Pampas Street, or 159 Melrose Street.

Those buildings will move to stage 3 restrictions, like the rest of Melbourne, at 5pm.

12 Sutton Street, 76 Canning Street, 12 Holland Court, 120 Racecourse Road, 126 Racecourse Road and 130 Racecourse Road will move to stage 3 restrictions at midnight.

159 positive tests in total have been recorded at the public housing flats.

“If you can be pleased in this situation, I’m pleased that only one tower has really tested badly,” Mark Feenane, CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association told 3AW Drive.

Click PLAY below to hear his reaction

Emma King, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Social Service, said police needed to be withdrawn from the towers and a public health response initiated.

“We need people who are living on the housing estate treated the same way that we would all be treated,” she said.

Click PLAY below to hear more on 3AW Drive