In regional Victoria (now including Mitchell Shire), stage three restrictions will be implemented at midnight on Wednesday.

These will be same restrictions that Melbourne has been under for about three weeks.

They are currently proposed to be in place for six weeks, but could extend longer.

Restaurants, cafes and gyms will have to close to the public and people will only have four reasons to leave their home:

Hospitality venues will be allowed to operate as takeaway-only.

Watch the premier's press conference here.

In metropolitan Melbourne (which no longer includes Mitchell Shire), residents are no longer able to travel more than five kilometres from their home.

The are only allowed to leave their homes to conduct essential shopping, which must be within the five-kilometre radius.

Only one person is allowed to shop per household and people are only allowed to shop once per day.

Exercise has also been restricted to one hour per day and must be conducted within five kilometres of home.

Only two people can exercise together.

This will ban sports such as golf and tennis, said the premier.

After 8pm on Sunday a curfew will also be implemented, running from 8pm-5am.

During these times people are only allowed to leave their home to get care, give care or travel to work.

Police will be out in force during these times to enforce the curfew.

Metropolitan Melbourne residents will now only have three reasons to leave home:

For schools, students across Victoria will return to online learning on Wednesday.

Parents who have work commitments will be allowed to send their children to school, but all other students will be required to remain at home.

Mr Andrews said students would attend school on Monday as usual, have a pupil free day on Tuesday and return to online learning on Wednesday.

The full list of changes can be found here.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced 671 new cases in the last 24 hours and seven new deaths.

There are 5829 active cases in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire and 328 in regional Victoria.

There were more than 3600 new cases found in Victoria this week.

There are 760 "mystery cases", or untraceable community transmission, which Mr Andrews said was almost of greatest concern.

"If you've got that many cases of community transmission then you must assume you have even more," he said.

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Read Mr Mr Andrews' full statement about regional Victoria restrictions here.

From the outset of this second surge, our aim has been to protect regional communities. By putting a ring around the city, we want to protect the entirety of our state.

For the most part, it's worked. But as we know, this virus doesn't discriminate, and its only goal is to spread.

Based on the current numbers, it's clear there is a real and growing threat in some regional communities.

The thought of this virus getting into regional aged care - and wiping out entire generations within our regional communities - is something that keeps me up at night. I know I'm not alone.

We cannot let this virus tear through regional aged care in the way it has with private sector aged care in Melbourne.

We cannot let it mean more Victorians in hospital beds. More Victorians hooked up to machines just to breathe.

And more Victorians - more grandparents, parents, sons, daughters, partners and loved ones - choked to death by an invisible enemy.

That's not something I'm willing to accept. I don't think it's something any of us are willing to accept.

We must do more. We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this.

It's why from 6pm tonight, Victoria will enter a State of Disaster. We used this same provision over summer, and as we step-up our fight against this public health bushfire, we need to use it again.

This will give our police additional powers to make sure people are complying with public health directions - more on which we'll have to say in the coming days.

And from 11:59pm on Wednesday, regional Victoria will return to Stage 3 "Stay at Home" restrictions.

That means there'll again only be four reasons to be out: shopping for food and essential items. Care and caregiving. Daily exercise. Work and study - if you can't do it from home.

Otherwise, you need to stay home.

Businesses in regional Victoria will also return to Stage 3 restrictions.

That means restaurants and cafes can only offer delivery and takeaway. Beauty and personal services will need to close. Entertainment and cultural venues will need to close. Community sport will need to stop.

This we'll be tough for these businesses and their workers - and we'll have more to say very shortly about extra support to help get you through.

Face coverings will continue to be compulsory - ensuring that if we do have to be out, it's in the safest way possible.

The question I know most parents will be asking: regional schools will return to remote and flexible learning - across all year levels and across the state. The only exception will be for our specialist schools.

Onsite supervision will again be made available for students who need it, including children whose parents are permitted workers and vulnerable kids who can't learn from home.

We know this will be a significant ask of parents with little ones - and big ones too. But I promise, as a parent to three, it's an ask I don't make lightly.

These changes will be in place for at least the next six weeks. As always, we'll keep reviewing and realigning the restrictions in line with the advice of our health experts - and if we can change things earlier, we will.

I know there'll also be questions about why restrictions are needed in some communities that have no cases.

But as we've learnt over the course of thing, just because you have no cases today - doesn't mean you won't tomorrow. And when the cost of failure if measured in lives, it's a risk we cannot afford to take.

I've had the job of leading this state for almost six years - more than 2000 days. And today is by far the hardest day - and the hardest decision.

But it is the decision I've made to keep our state safe.

The whole way through this, I promised to be upfront. So I'll say this now. This will be imperfect. And for a little while, there'll be more questions than answers.

It's why I'm asking something else of Victorians - please be calm, please be kind, please be patient.

I understand people will feel scared and sad and worried.

But we are Victorians - and we will get through this as Victorians. With grit, with guts and together.

All the temporary sacrifices we make now - all the time missed with mates, those delayed visits to mum - those sacrifices will help keep our mates and our mums and our fellow Victorians safe.

We can - we will - get through this.

Apart. But together.

Read Mr Andrews' full statement about Melbourne restrictions here.

I know how much Victorians want to go back to some semblance of normal - or at least "COVID normal".

They want to be able to get a beer with their mates. To drop round and see mum. And they definitely want an end to these daily updates and their grim new milestones.

Our health experts tell us the measures we've introduced are working. But too slowly.

The current rate of community transmission - mystery cases that cannot be traced back to work or home - is far too high.

As they tell us, based on the current numbers, cases might begin to drop off not in days or weeks - but in months. Months more of lockdown restrictions. Months more of 300, 400, 500 cases a day.

More Victorians in hospital beds. More Victorians hooked up to machines just to breathe.

And more Victorians - more grandparents, parents, sons, daughters, partners and loved ones - choked to death by an invisible enemy.

That's not something I'm willing to accept. I don't think it's something any of us are willing to accept.

We must do more. We must go harder. It's the only way we'll get to the other side of this.

I know Victorians are with me when I say, too many people are not taking this seriously. And too many people not taking this seriously means that too many other people are having to plan funerals for those they love.

It's why from 6pm tonight, Victoria will enter a State of Disaster. We used this same provision over summer, and as we step-up our fight against this public health bushfire, we need to use it again.

This will give our police additional powers to make sure people are complying with public health directions - more on which we'll have to say in the coming days.

From 6pm tonight, Melbourne will also move to Stage 4 restrictions with stronger rules to limit the movement of people - and limit the spread of this virus across our city.

That includes a curfew - from 8pm to 5am - beginning tonight. The only reasons to leave home during these hours will be work, medical care and caregiving.

Where you slept last night is where you'll need to stay for the next six weeks. There'll be exemptions for partners who live apart and for work, if required.

The Night Network will be suspended, and public transport services will be reduced during curfew hours. This will also allow us to redeploy more of our PSOs into our enforcement efforts.

New time, distance and gathering limits will also apply for exercise and shopping.

Exercise will be limited to a maximum of one hour per day and no more than five kilometres from your home. Group size will be limited to a maximum of two - you and one other person - whether you live with them or not.

Shopping will be limited to one person per household per day. Again, the five-kilometre rule will apply.

Of course, there'll be some common-sense exceptions. If your closest supermarket is further than five kilometres, you can still shop there. If you're a parent with little ones, you can still take them with you when you go for a walk.

And these distance, gathering and time limits won't apply for work, medical care or compassionate reasons.

Study at TAFE and uni must be done remotely. And from Wednesday at 11:59pm, weddings in Melbourne cannot occur.

Face coverings will continue to be compulsory - ensuring that if we do have to be out, it's in the safest way possible.

The question I know most parents will be asking: schools will return to remote and flexible learning - across all year levels.

Students who are currently attending onsite - including senior students and those in our specialist schools - will go to school on Monday, have a pupil free day on Tuesday, and be learning at home from Wednesday.

Onsite supervision will be offered but tightened - only available for students who really need it. That means children whose parents are permitted workers and vulnerable kids who can't learn from home.

From Thursday, those same rules will apply to Melbourne's kinder and early childhood education services.

We know this will be a significant ask of parents with little ones - and big ones too. But I promise, as a parent to three, it's an ask I don't make lightly.

These changes will be in place for at least the next six weeks until Sunday 13 September. As always, we'll keep reviewing and realigning the restrictions in line with the advice of our health experts - and if we can change things earlier, we will.

We also recognise that workplaces continue to be the site of many of our cases.

Today, I've made some announcements that change how Victorians will live - tomorrow, I'll have more to say about the way Victorians need to work.

I know that will cause a certain level of anxiety and uncertainty. But the truth is, this is complex - and we're going to take some extra time to make sure we get these calls right.

I've had the job of leading this state for almost six years - more than 2000 days. And today is by far the hardest day - and the hardest decision.

But it is the decision I've made to keep our state safe.

The whole way through this, I promised to be upfront. So I'll say this now. This will be imperfect. And for a little while, there'll be more questions than answers.

It's why I'm asking something else of Victorians - please be calm, please be kind, please be patient.

I understand people will feel scared and sad and worried.

But we are Victorians - and we will get through this as Victorians. With grit, with guts and together.

All the temporary sacrifices we make now - all the time missed with mates, those delayed visits to mum - those sacrifices will help keep our mates and our mums and our fellow Victorians safe.

We can - we will - get through this.

Apart. But together.

According to the latest data released on Saturday afternoon, there were 11 active cases in Ballarat and 26 total cases confirmed since the outbreak of the pandemic.

There were 11 active cases in nearby Moorabool and 10 in Golden Plains. Residents of these shires have not been able to have any visitors to their home since Friday.

There has also been cause for concern in Geelong, with 88 active cases, which was as low as 31 at the start of the week.

Facemasks are mandatory throughout the entire state as of 11.59pm on Sunday.

Location data is usually released mid-afternoon, but given the press conference is hours later than usual, it is not known when they will be released today.

Everyone who feels even the slightest cold or flu-like symptom must assume they have the virus until a test result proves otherwise. Anybody with symptoms or awaiting a result should self-isolate at home.

Support is available. You are never alone.

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