Victoria records 77 new coronavirus cases

Victoria has recorded 77 new cases of coronavirus, its biggest total since March 31.

The state has now suffered 289 new cases since Monday as 36 north Melbourne suburbs are locked down to contain the fresh outbreak. 

There are now 415 active cases with twenty patients in hospital and four in intensive care, two more than yesterday.

Of the 77 new cases, 13 are linked to outbreaks, 37 were detected through routine testing and 27 further cases are under investigation. 

There are five previous cases that have been reclassified. 

This map shows the suburbs which will be subject to stay-at-home orders from Wednesday at 11.59pm after a spike in coronavirus cases

The Victorian government has re-imposed stay-at-home orders for 36 suburbs in ten postcodes after recording 212 new cases of the deadly virus in three days.

After just four weeks of freedom, those residents will be banned from leaving their homes except for work and school, food shopping, giving care and daily exercise.

Restaurants, gyms, pubs and all other non-essential services in the suburbs must once again close their doors. Affected businesses will be compensated with a government cash grant of $5,000.

The curve in Victoria has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks as coronavirus infections continue to grow from within the suburbs of Melbourne

Residents from the ten postcodes will not be allowed to go on holiday and the government will announce a support package for affected tourism businesses tomorrow.  

The lockdown will last for four weeks and come into force from 11.59pm on Wednesday. Police will be enforcing the orders with random vehicle checks similar to random breath tests and will dish out on-the-spot fines.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the lockdown was ‘deeply painful’ and ‘damaging for businesses’ but insisted that it was necessary.

‘If we don’t take these steps now we will be locking down every postcode,’ he said.