Coronavirus Victoria: Premier Dan Andrews speaks on Today with Karl Stefanovic

Premier Daniel Andrews has gone head-to-head with Karl Stefanovic as the Victorian leader imposes a second lockdown to stop coronavirus.

Premier Daniel Andrews has answered to a fiery grilling on breakfast TV, promising to stand by Victorians as he and the state grapple with a devastating second wave of coronavirus.

Appearing on Today this morning, Mr Andrews was lashed with questions from host Karl Stefanovic.

“What a mess. Does it get any worse than this?” Stefanovic started.

Victoria saw close to 200 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, one of its worst totals since the pandemic began in March.

The rest of Australia has also closed its borders to the virus-riddled state, including NSW, which has not been closed to Victoria in more than a century.

Mr Andrews said he was “furious” but would going to push ahead until the state was virus-free.

“I don't get the luxury of saying well, it won't be popular to do this,” he said.

“You have to make the tough calls. That's what I have done. We will get to the other side of this though. We will provide all the support that is needed for businesses, for individuals, it will be difficult. Very difficult.

“If this gets right away from us then we will see some very ugly scenes. A great tragedy. We will see thousands of people in hospital. And many, many people dying. We have to do everything we can to avoid that. That's the reality we're in and that's the decisions I have made.”

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Premier Daniel Andrews on Today. Picture: Today

Mr Andrews is also under fire for the mishandling of the hotel quarantine situation for returned Victorian travellers with Stefanovic labelling it a “catastrophic bungle”.

Genomic sequencing of Victoria’s second wave has traced the outbreak back to hotel quarantine cases.

“How could you blame Victorians yesterday for the outbreak when it was your government's decision to employ an incompetent private security force to guard those in quarantine? That's an unbelievably catastrophic bungle right at the front door,” Stefanovic said.

“It's not about blaming Victorians but all of us have a part to play and all of us have to be focused on those things we can influence. The things we can change,” Mr Andrews replied.

“We all have to follow the rules. That's not about blaming anyone. It's simply about properly explaining to people the circumstances we're in and the next steps that we have to take. What's gone on is unacceptable. To me. To everybody. But I can't change that. All I can do is make the tough calls now to keep Victorians safe and to get us to the other side of this.”

The premier was also asked to address hotel quarantine issues on Sunrise this morning.

“It is disgraceful what went on there. I can't change that,” the premier said.

Mr Andrews also lashed suggestions he encouraged Black Lives Matter protests to go ahead in Melbourne.

“No one gave the go- ahead. Logic tells you you shouldn't do that. I was clear they should not be protesting, it is the virus we should be working against. The influence that has had is for other people to judge,” he said.

“A small number have come from (the Black Lives Matter rally). No one got it at the rally. There are four people that attended the rally that have had it. Police were pretty clear, I was crystal clear, don't protest. Unless you are going to lock up 10,000 people... Think about the close contact involved with that.”

The premier has launched an independent inquiry into the hotel quarantine situation. Picture: Today

After Stefanovic pushed numerous times to find out what exactly had gone wrong with hotel quarantine, Mr Andrews called for calm on the program.

“Karl, I haven't come on your program to have an argument with you,” the Premier said.

“The key point is we know we need an independent process. I think people will be rightly critical if we didn't have an independent process.”

Mr Andrews is facing increased calls from his political opponents to resign but the embattled premier told the breakfast show he wasn’t going anywhere.

“I'm about staying the course and getting the job done. Critics, that's fine. That's entirely a matter for them. Politics is a matter for them too,” he said.

“This is a pandemic and I'm with getting on with the job I need to do. It's not popular. They're very, very difficult calls to be made. They have to be made to keep Victorians safe. We have to stay the course on this.

“No-one is pleased to be in this position. I don't have the luxury nor does any other Victorian to pretend the reality we face is real. It is. That's why we have done this.”