Victoria’s health chief says Stage 4 restrictions are ‘on the table’

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer hasn’t ruled out the possibility of introducing tougher lockdown restrictions amid growing concerns over the rate of community transmission in the state.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says further restrictions “are all on the table”.

“Further restrictions need to be considered,” he said while announcing today’s COVID-19 case breakdown.

“We can’t rule anything out if there aren’t sufficient mechanisms to drive down transmission.

“We would do the minimum required because we know how much of an imposition it is on businesses, on people’s lives, but if it’s required to reduce transmission then it has to be in play.”

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Professor Sutton’s comments come after Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday refused to rule out the possibility of Stage 4 lockdown.

“If you don’t want Stage 4, if you don’t want the lockdown to last a moment longer, then please follow the rules,” he said.

It’s unclear what Stage 4 restrictions would look like, but New Zealand’s Stage 4 restrictions included the closure of all businesses except essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies.

A message stating that tougher restrictions will come into effect on Wednesday night, and outlining what Stage 4 may include, is circulating online. 3AW understand this message is fake.

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