Everything you need to know as Victoria’s five-day lockdown kicks off

Seven new exposure sites were identified just moments before Victoria entered stage four restrictions.

Between Saturday February 6 and Tuesday February 9, a Coburg function venue, retail stores at Hoppers Crossing and South Melbourne and multiple bus routes across the city have been identified as risk exposure sites.

Anyone who visited the locations during at the specified times must isolate, test and remain isolated for 14 days regardless of the result.

As the state wakes up to a raft of new restrictions including prescribed reasons to leave home, mask mandates and border closures, here’s what to expect:

Stage four restrictions are currently in place until 11.59pm on Wednesday February 17.

Victorians can only leave their homes for one of the four essential reasons: shopping for necessary goods and services, essential work or education if it cannot be done from home, care and caregiving, exercise for two hours per day with household members, an intimate partner or one other person only.

A five-kilometre travel radius has also been reinstated and masks must be worn everywhere in public.

Schools have closed, but will remain open for vulnerable children or the children of permitted workers.

Places of worship, religious gatherings and ceremonies are not be permitted to operate.

Weddings can’t go ahead unless on compassionate grounds.

Hairdressing and beauty services have been forced to close, along with real estate auctions and inspections, unless online.

Indoor physical recreation and sporting venues, outdoor physical recreation and community sport have shut down. However, outdoor playgrounds remain open.

Swimming pools are closed, along with community facilities such as libraries.

Creative studios, entertainment venues and non-essential retail also shut their doors.

Hospitality venues are now takeaway only.

Visits to residential aged care facilities are banned during the stage four lockdown and restrictions on hospital visits have also come into effect, visitors only allowed by essential contractors or for end-of-life reasons.

The Australian Open tennis tournament will continue as professional athletes are classed as essential workers under the Victorian government’s latest advice, including staff “attending to ensure the safe running of the event”.

Each state is taking a slightly different approach to exactly how those rules are enforced – and at what date they commence.

The sunshine state has closed its borders to Greater Melbourne for two weeks from 1am this morning.

The two-week border closure is said to allow Queensland contact tracers time to contact and test people exposed.

Instead, the state will mimick Victoria’s five-day hard lockdown for all returned Victorian travellers.

They will be required to follow the same rules as are in place in Victoria, meaning they cannot leave home except for the four essential reasons.

Anyone attempting to enter New South Wales from Greater Melbourne by road will be required to fill out a declaration form.

The whole of Greater Melbourne has been declared a COVID-19 hotspot, meaning anyone attempting to enter after that time obliged to undertake a 14-day quarantine at Howard Springs.

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has implemented a hard border with Victoria for 72 hours, starting at 6pm AWST (9pm AEDT) Friday night.

Compassionate reasons are also possible including for returning WA residents.

Anyone with an exemption will have to undergo 14 days of self isolation, not hotel quarantine, and be tested for COVID-19.

Australian Capital Territory:

Anyone who enters the ACT after that time will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

While as of Friday evening, measures were tightened further with bans on transit through Melbourne.

The bordertown checkpoint and COVID testing site on the Western Highway from Kaniva to the SA border re-opened.

South Australian residents will be allowed to return, but have to self isolate for 14 days.

This includes anyone who passed through Terminal Four of Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne on February 9.

Tasmania is introducing a hard border to all of Victoria from midnight Friday.