Deputy premier James Merlino says localised lockdowns preferred for regional Victoria

The Deputy Premier has revealed how the powers who be decide on localised lockdowns in the regions.

Deputy Premier James Merlino at today’s press conference on the latest Covid situation in Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Localised coronavirus lockdowns are based on a range of factors and not simply by case numbers, Deputy Premier James Merlino says.

The City of Latrobe — covering Moe, Morwell and Traralgon — entered a seven-day lockdown last week with restrictions set to be eased on Wednesday.

Greater Shepparton and Moorabool Shire were also classified as lockdown zones last week to curb coronavirus cases.

The two council areas are currently scheduled to end lockdown on Friday evening.

Mr Merlino said lockdowns by local government area were not based on “definitive X number of cases,” but by a range of circumstances.

“It is a reasonable question: What is the threshold (for local government area lockdowns)?

“The challenge is that it does vary,” the Deputy Premier told The Weekly Times.

“It depends on the number of cases, the story behind those cases, the number of exposure sites, the speed of which (the virus) is moving.

“All of those things inform public health as to whether we need to take some pretty urgent action, which is what we did in regards to Latrobe City, for example, or whether it’s something that can be dealt with via the local public health team of just getting on top of a local outbreak through contact tracing and drilling down those numbers.

“So it does vary. There’s no definitive X number of cases — it’s the story behind that outbreak and how worried public health are about it.”

Greater Melbourne remains under lockdown rules introduced two months ago. Ballarat and Geelong regions have also been under short localised lockdowns in recent weeks.