Rural City of Mildura to enter seven-day lockdown tonight

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has declared that the Mildura Rural City Council area will enter a seven-day lockdown commencing at 11:59pm tonight, 8 October, with restrictions the same as those in metropolitan Melbourne (excluding the curfew).

Caseloads in Mildura have increased in recent days, with 9 active cases in this Local Government Area (LGA) reported as of 8 October. A further 3 cases have been confirmed this afternoon and will be reported in tomorrow’s numbers.

The public health teams are concerned about onward transmission in the Mildura and have determined that the seven-day lockdown is needed to limit growth in cases.

Under the lockdown, you can only leave home for limited reasons: 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.

You can also leave home to visit your intimate partner or single social bubble buddy. No other visitors are allowed in the home. Shopping, exercise and outdoor social interaction will be limited to 15km from your home. Masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors. Remember to wear masks on public transport.

You have four hours a day for exercise and outdoor social interaction. You can meet with one other person, or up to four others from two households if all present are fully vaccinated. Dependants can also join you.

You can’t leave the Mildura Rural City Council area and travel elsewhere in regional Victoria other than for limited reasons, such as authorised work and permitted education, care and compassionate reasons, visiting an intimate partner, and necessary goods and services (only if they can’t be obtained locally).

Locals are asked to be on high alert for symptoms and get tested if any develop. A rapid response testing team has been deployed to provide support to the region. Current local testing centres are available at Barratt and Smith Pathology sites on both Healthscope Court and Langtree Avenue.

In the Mildura local government area, 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. In addition to our state clinics, local GP and pharmacies are offering COVID-19 vaccinations. Visit COVID-19 Vaccines for links to state-run, pharmacy and GP booking systems.

For more information on the lockdown restrictions that will be in place in the Mildura local government area at 11:59pm tonight, please visit How we live: metropolitan Melbourne and other lockdown areas.

Quotes attributable to Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton

“If you’re in the Mildura Rural City Council area, please follow the lockdown restrictions, get tested if you have symptoms, and get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”

“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.”