Hotel chain offers 11,000 rooms for quarantine as infection rate jumps

Accommodation giant Quest has offered all of its 140 hotels across the nation for Australians undergoing mandatory two-week isolation, while turning one of its buildings into a makeshift "health facility" for people suffering with COVID-19.

The 11,000 apartments to be made available under the deal, expected to be signed off in coming days, will represent a major component of the unprecedented effort to house the thousands of Australians returning from overseas who have been ordered into quarantine.

Premier Daniel Andrews said yesterday the state's hotel industry had offered a combined 26,000 beds alone, with about 5000 ready to go from when the mandatory quarantine period came into effect at 12am on Sunday.

Mr Andrews expected between 1000 and 1500 returned travellers to on Sunday begin their mandatory 14-day hotel lockdown, which will be enforced by Victoria Police and supported by Australian Defence Force soldiers.

Defence personnel are not authorised to enforce laws but from Sunday will be assisting with contact tracing and planning.

Quest Apartment Hotels chief operating officer David Mansfield would not say where in Australia the new health facility would be located, but that it was "being prepared" with the oversight of medical authorities and experts.

The Age revealed last week that Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition building may also be used as a giant hospital for COVID-19 patients as the state government scrambles to increase its capacity to treat potentially thousands of critically ill people within weeks.

Mr Andrews on Saturday morning announced 111 new cases of COVID-19, the state's biggest single-day increase since the crisis began. Victoria's total now stands at 685.

On-the-spot fines of $1652 for individuals and $9913 for businesses will now be handed out to people caught ignoring chief health officers directives around which businesses can remain open, 14-day quarantine requirements and mass gatherings.

He said fines would not apply for people standing closer than the recommended 1.5 metres.

Police had not issued any fines by mid Saturday afternoon and most Victorians appeared to have received the message to stay home if they could.

While there were many walkers at the St Kilda foreshore yesterday, by 2pm, even as the temperatures climbed into the high 20s on a school holiday Saturday, not a single towel or sunbather could be spotted on the beach.

People at Melbourne's bayside suburbs and beaches, many of which are now shut or soon to be shut, would have also received geo-targeted social media ads telling them to stay inside.

The ads appeared on Facebook and Instagram from noon to 8pm with the message: "At the beach? Go home. Save lives."

Mr Andrews has consistently told Victorians to stay at home unless it was essential to leave. However, he did say it was okay to be at the beach to walk the dog or get some exercise so long as it was brief and people practised social distancing.

But locals at some beachside towns have reported holiday-makers were still ignoring advice to stay at home during the school holidays.

Alan O'Connor, the deputy controller of the Phillip Island SES unit made an urgent plea on Facebook to shut the bridge to Phillip Island to non-locals and close farmer's markets after crowds flocked to Cowes on Saturday.

"For gods (sic) sake shut these things down. Full of people and then they will all head to the beach. Contact council, local member anyone you can think of. Close the bridge to non locals please share & repost....we need the pollies to stop this!" he wrote.

Senator Sarah Henderson tweeted: "The numbers of beach goers on the #Bellarine is very concerning. It’s a magnificent day but staying home saves lives. We have to work together to get through this. "

All beaches on the Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road, Bass Coast and Point Addis were closed last night.

Port Phillip Council shut its beaches, including Elwood, Port Melbourne and Middle Park, from Friday evening.

A Bunnings worker told The Sunday Age that the shop was so "packed" on Saturday, and the store was so lacking in social distancing, that some staff feared coming to work.

The worker, who did not wish to be identified, said people were coming into the hardware store like they were on a "family excursion".

"We're getting similar levels of exposure to the public as what the health sector is getting now – for hardware."

Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said further social distancing measures were being implemented, particularly at busier stores over the weekend.

Retailer David Jones announced it would keep its main stores trading for as long as government regulations allow, but would close two smaller format stores in Sydney and Brisbane.