Premier Daniel Andrews has explained why regional Victoria was hit with the most severe restrictions of the pandemic so far when there have been no cases of COVID-19 outside metropolitan Melbourne in months.
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"If there are different rules without the protective road blocks, and that sort of stuff can't be done in a couple of hours, ... people will go to where the rules are easiest," he said.
With the snap five-day lockdown imposed because health authorities cannot be sure how many cases of the rapidly-spreading UK-variant of the disease are in the community, there was dismay that regional and rural areas were subject to the strict stage-four restrictions.
But Mr Andrews said the whole state was locked down to avoid people from Melbourne travelling in the regions and risk spreading COVID-19.
"I can't have a situation where, in two weeks time, we look back and wish we had taken this decision now," he said.
At a 12.30pm press conference Mr Andrews announced international flights to Melbourne have been suspended for the five day lockdown period, with the exception of five flights due to land before midnight which were already in the air or had passengers in transit.
There are believed to be about 100 passengers on board the flights, who will immediately be taken in to hotel quarantine.
Tasmania, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia have closed their borders to Victorian travellers and under a state-wide order, anyone arriving in New South Wales from Victoria after after 11.59pm on Friday 12 February must remain at their home or place of residence for the duration of Victoria's five-day lockdown.
Victoria recorded one new COVID-19 case overnight, a man in his 30s from the Point Cook area who was a social contact of a confirmed case. There are now 20 active cases.
"Last night we identified 38 primary close contacts of that individual and all of them were contacted and asked they and their households remain fully isolated," said COVID testing commander Jeroen Weimar.
The outbreak contact list relating to the Holiday Inn outbreak is now almost 1000.
"There are now 14 cases linked to that particular premises and ... we have identified 996 non-primary close contacts related to that facility and the people who work in it," Premier Andrews said. "That number will continue to keep growing."
Mr Andrews said the public health response had been put around these cases and the balance of results will start to come through on Sunday and Monday, which is why Wednesday was chosen as a critical day for decision making and a five-day lockdown was chosen rather than a shorter period.
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Eleven of 12 Brunetti's staff exposed to the virus by a co-worker at Melbourne Airport on February 9 have returned negative tests.
Everyone identified as a close contact of a confirmed case must quarantine for 14 days regardless of their test results.
Mr Weimar said there would likely be more exposure sites added to the list on Saturday afternoon.
