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4.08am BST

Premier Daniel Andrews, on the lockdown in Ballarat:

This is what the national plan calls for – targeted lockdowns in order to preserve the low virus status of a larger group. No-one wants to make this decision. We’ll support the people of Ballarat. There’ll be further business support which has still not expired from announcements that were made previously despite the fact that Ballarat has been open for a short period of time, we didn’t revise down those business supports, they’re still being paid, but there’ll be further announcements made quite soon.

4.07am BST

Reporters have asked the premier whether it was necessary to send Ballarat into lockdown.

Andrews:

Yes, it was. That was the advice provided by the chief health officer and if we had it get away from us in one part of regional Victoria, then all of regional Victoria will be closed. Just think about that – people just don’t stay in one part of the region, they move, they travel, they work. This has come from authorised movements. If there are other authorised movements and a freedom of movement across regional Victoria, that would see it spread.

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Source: The Guardian