‘We’re on high alert’: Late change to Melbourne COVID-19 restrictions

The “cautious” easing of COVID-19 restrictions will go ahead as planned from midnight, but with one small change.

Masks will remain mandatory in all settings in Greater Melbourne, whether they’re inside or outside.

It comes after four new local cases of coronavirus emerged in the past 24 hours.

They’re still yet to be linked to an outbreak.

“We are on high alert,” James Merlino said.

The four cases are from the same house and include a man in their 80s, woman in her 70s, a man in his 50s and man in his 20s.

They haven’t been at any of the exposure sites.

A handful of new exposure sites have been listed as a result.

Anybody in the Reservoir area experiencing coronavirus symptoms is being urged to get tested immediately, given the latest developments.

Meanwhile, the couple in Queensland that has since tested positive to COVID-19 after leaving the state also can’t be specifically linked to an outbreak.

One had checked in at Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre on May 23, which was an exposure site at the time, but investigations continue.

Jeroen Weimar admitted there’s “no evidence” of any outdoor transmission in this current outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria.

He said masks were remaining mandatory outside for now “because we’re in an environment where we still have undetected transmission in the community.”