Bands & Venues React To Victoria's Five-day Lockdown

12 February 2021 | 1:16 pm | Staff Writer

"And until we have a vaccine, we need to do everything we can to keep this virus at bay..."

Victoria is set to re-enter a lockdown from midnight tonight. 

The news was announced by Premier Daniel Andrews at at press conference this afternoon, with the city entering a five day snap stage four lockdown. The lockdown will officially start from 11.59pm tonight and run through to 11:59pm on Wednesday, 17 February.

Restrictions will revert to the 'four reasons to leave home' system that was in place last year, meaning Victorians can only leave their homes for essential supplies, care and caregiving and exercise and essential work.

Masks must again be worn in all settings outside the home, and Victorians must remain within 5km of home for their shopping and exercise activities. 

The lockdown is based on the entrance of the 'UK strain' of the COVID-19 virus into the community. 

"I won’t waste words: today hurts. Victorians know, better than anyone, just how deeply," said Andrews in a statement today. "But as we’ve seen – here in Australia and around the world – we are facing a new kind of enemy.

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"A virus that is smarter, and faster, and more infectious. And until we have a vaccine, we need to do everything we can to keep this virus at bay..."

"It’s why on the advice of our public health experts, the whole of Victoria will move to circuit-breaker action from 11:59pm tonight until 11:59pm on Wednesday, 17 February. This is a short, sharp blast – the same as we’ve seen in Queensland and WA – that will give us the what we need to get ahead of this faster moving virus."

The new restrictions will affect live music events this weekend with no public gatherings allowed, with Victorian gigs ceing cancelled or postponed this afternoon:

(Updating)


Additional cancellations are expected throughout the day.