MELBURNIANS might be able to travel 25km from their homes, but if they try and enter regional Victoria over this long weekend and they'll be met with the full force of the law police are warning.
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The beefed-up ring of steel will be in full effect this weekend as part of Operation Saturn, a combined offensive which will run over the coming three weekends.
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Police have combined the traditional two long-weekend operations into one, but at the same time will be placing extra numbers at check points across the state to make sure Melburnians are not trying to enter the regions, in breach of COVID-19 rules.
The checkpoint on the Western Freeway just outside Bacchus Marsh will have an increased presence in what is hoped will be the start of last couple of weeks of lockdown rules.
Police say they will also be setting up random checkpoints around the regions to intercept any Melburnians looking to travel to western Victoria.
And with enforcement officers aware that some people will be trying to use back roads to travel to regional Victoria, there will be an increase in random patrols in those areas too as they aim to keep regional Victoria as COVID free as they can.
Operation Saturn came into affect at 12.01am on Friday will run until 11.59pm on Sunday, November 8.
It comes as a Pakenham woman who was caught travelling through Ballarat, was one of the 22 Victorians fined in the past 24 hours for lockdown breaches.
Police allege the woman said she was travelling to Ararat to visit a friend.
A record 33,495 people were stopped at checkpoints across the state in the 24-hours to Friday morning, showing the police authority have an impact
Regional Victoria has just two active infections now, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Both cases are in Greater Shepparton. Melbourne's rolling average sits at 5.5. The city could hit its 14-day average threshold of five this weekend for the first time.
