There will be some weeks before restrictions are eased further in regional Victoria, according to Premier Daniel Andrews, but he hinted there could be an announcement soon if Melbourne's cases remain "stubborn".
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Mr Andrews held a brief joint press conference for regional media outlets with Department of Health and Human Services testing commander Jeroen Weimar on Thursday morning.
As of Thursday morning, there are four cases linked to the Kilmore outbreak, and one in Mildura - it's understood this could be a false positive but has been included due to an "abundance of caution"
There have also been 'strong' testing numbers in regional Victoria - 2,360 in regional areas yesterday, more than 26,000 in the regions in the past week.
Given regional Victoria remains under the threshold for new cases for three weeks and the new Kilmore cluster is not linked to any mystery transmission, the Premier was asked if there was any concrete news on changes to regional restrictions.
"I know it's frustrating, and one of the most wicked and difficult things about this virus is the latency of two to three weeks," he replied.
"We'll have more to say as we approach that October 18 (date) for Melbourne, that will present us with potentially the opportunity to say a bit more about regional Victoria.
"But it may well be we'll need to see what results in Melbourne are for any move we make here before we can be definite about what the final step or last step, which is essentially COVID normal, looks like for regional Victoria.
"Having said that - if Melbourne's tail of the second wave is more stubborn than we thought, we certainly don't rule out and in fact we are actively looking at whether there might be other options for regional Victoria to yes, push further ahead of Melbourne.
"The fact you're out of sync isn't great, but the extra economic activity in regional Victoria justifies that.
"We're in that very difficult zone where there's lots of thinking going into what happens in a couple of weeks' time, but we just can't give people answers to those very legitimate questions, because we want to see all the data that will come in over the next fortnight just to be sure about where regional Victoria is up to, and where Melbourne is up to, because Kilmore tells you a pretty powerful story about how wildly this thing spreads even with only permitted workers going into regional Victoria, only people with lawful reasons travelling, if you were to open up more broadly, and that ring of steel was not there, at this stage we know exactly what that would mean.
"I know it's a frustrating answer, and it's not necessarily giving clarity.
"As soon as we can map out what any potential future stages look like, and timing around that, we absolutely will, but safety first because we don't want to fritter away all the good work that families, communities, and businesses have done."
Testing will be expanded in the meatworks, poultry, and fish industries, with a new saliva-based test to be rolled out in sites in Nhill, Ararat, and Stawell, among others.
Mr Weimar said about a quarter of each site's workforce will be tested every week, to give a clearer picture on how the virus moves around, and allow for rapid response in case of an outbreak.
Sewage testing will also continue - Ballarat is one of 37 regional sites across the state being tested weekly for traces of the virus.
He said regional people must get tested if they feel any symptoms.
"Kilmore tells us it's not over," he said.
"Kilmore will be an illustration of how quickly the virus can be reintroduced to communities that hasn't seen it for weeks on end, and also the value of all those measures we asked people to put in place, around contact tracing in the cafe, which they did a fantastic job on, people wearing masks and using good hand hygiene."
The concern for regional areas that haven't had cases in months is losing the "folk memory" of taking precautions and getting tested immediately, he added - testing numbers in some places are "steadily declining".
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"We're working with local councils and other local partners, health services, about how do we keep the visibility of COVID-safe behaviours, how do we encourage people to do it, how do we use the GP networks - just to maintain that visibility," Mr Weimar said.
"I don't want it to become an overbearing grind, but it's a little bit of that social, civic responsibility we've all got - if we think something's wrong, we have to remember it's not just about my health, it's how infectious I am to everyone around me, whether it's my family, friends, workmates, and particularly in regional Victoria as we walk around."
There was no certainty for regional events planned for January - "as soon as we can provide more certainty and clarity to those who organise those regional events, we absolutely will," Mr Andrews said, and warned the grace period for non-fitted masks, such as face shields or scarves, ended this weekend.
"I know as weather gets warmer - I grew up in country Victoria not far from the border, it gets very hot, very dry, I know (wearing a mask) will be challenging - if we can refine that a little bit then of course we're always open to doing that, but I've been clear I'm a holdout on this, it serves a useful purpose," he said.
"It's annoying, it's not what necessarily people are wanting to be doing, but when you think about cost of wearing the mask, which is quite low, compared to benefits of not having superspreading events that set us back, and not having to divide regional Victoria up with all the enforcement and complexity, I think it's still a pretty good deal.
"As soon as masks are no longer proportionate, no longer serving a purpose, once the risk is lower, we won't hesitate to make that change and we may look at some refinements between now and then."
Remember to always maintain good hand hygiene, wear a mask when in public, and keep a 1.5 metre distance from others at all times.
Anyone with the slightest symptoms is urged to get a test immediately, and must self-isolate until results come back - book online at bchc.org.au or phone 4311 1571 to make an appointment.
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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.
If you have cold or flu-like symptoms, make an appointment either online at bchc.org.au or by phone (4311 1571) to take a test at Lucas Community Hub. Tests are by appointment only.
There is now a testing site at the Ballarat Senior Citizens Centre in the CBD. People are encouraged to book a test by calling 1800 054 172.
A testing site has also opened at the BHS public dental site in Sebastopol, phone 5320 8889
A drive-through swabbing clinic, for symptomatic and asymptomatic people, has opened at the old Atlantic Hotel on Skipton Street in Redan - people will require a referral from their GP or specialist, but will not require an appointment.
For more information, visit the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website, or phone the hotline on 1800 675 398 for advice if you are displaying symptoms.
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