Victorian regional city of Mildura to re-enter lockdown as Shepparton, Moorabool freed

Another regional Victorian city will be thrown back into lockdown after a spike in Covid-19 cases in the area, while two other regions will be freed.

Mildura in northwest Victoria will enter a snap seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm on Friday.

The regional city has recently had a rise in Covid-19 infections, with nine active cases in the Mildura Rural City Council local government area reported as of Friday morning.

A further three cases were identified on Friday afternoon and will be included in Saturday’s numbers, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 12.

Victoria had its highest ever daily tally of locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Friday morning, with 1838 recorded, as well as five deaths.

In three separate announcements on Friday evening, the Victorian Department of Health confirmed Shepparton and the Moorabool Shire would emerge from stay-at-home orders as Mildura entered lockdown.

Greater Shepparton, in the state’s north, will leave lockdown as scheduled at 11.59pm on Friday, with restrictions to match those in place in the remainder of regional Victoria.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton announced the Mildura lockdown on Friday evening. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Moorabool Shire, in western Victoria near Ballarat, will leave lockdown at the same time.

While there are still new cases in Shepparton and the Moorabool Shire, public health officials say they are confident that the lockdown – and the commitment of the community – had slowed the potential growth.

There are 102 active cases in the Greater Shepparton LGA and 42 in the Moorabool Shire, according to Victorian government data.

Meanwhile, the state’s health teams say they are concerned about onward transmission in Mildura and have determined that the seven-day lockdown is needed to limit growth in cases.

Mildura will be subject to the same restrictions as metropolitan Melbourne, apart from the curfew.

Residents will only be allowed to leave home for necessary goods and services, caregiving or compassionate reasons (including medical care and getting a Covid-19 test), authorised work or permitted education, exercise and outdoor social interaction in limited groups, and getting a Covid-19 vaccine locally.

The ADF delivered food packages to people when Shepparton went through an earlier lockdown in August. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

People can also leave home to visit an intimate partner or single social bubble buddy, but all shopping, exercise and outdoor social interaction will be limited to 15km from home.

“We’ve seen regional communities get through an outbreak so we know it can be done – it’s vital we protect the local community and the rest of regional Victoria from significant outbreaks,” Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said.

In the Mildura LGA, more than 86 per cent of the population have had at least their first vaccination dose and more than 51 per cent have had both.