Melbourne, Victoria records NO new coronavirus cases

Victoria has recorded no new coronavirus cases overnight, just hours ahead of premier Daniel Andrews announcing what restrictions will remain after lockdown.

The state was plunged into a five-day-long lockdown on Friday at midnight, with the rules set to end at 11.59pm on Wednesday night.

Restrictions including mandatory mask-wearing are likely to be kept in place though when Mr Andrews meets with his cabinet later on Wednesday morning.

The Health Department said 40,000 people were tested for the virus on Tuesday and there are 25 active cases across the state.

Police and medical workers are pictured outside the Holiday Inn on Flinders Street in Melbourne on Tuesday after it was evacuated due to water damage to the building

Former Australian Medical Association President Tony Bartone said no late-night reports of new cases was a positive sign the shutdown would come to an end.

‘It would look like we will be coming out of lockdown this evening,’ Dr Bartone told Nine’s Today on Wednesday.

‘Of course, any new cases especially cases which are not already linked to that cluster at the Holiday Inn and not already in isolation would obviously put a last-minute dampener on things, but perhaps looking very likely at this stage.

‘Fingers crossed.’

Senior Victorian government ministers met on Tuesday night to finalise plans to drop the lockdown, the Herald Sun reports.

A final decision was expected to be made at 8am on Wednesday when the ministers met again.

Police patrol the streets of Melbourne during the city’s five-day ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19

Premier Daniel Andrews warned on Tuesday it was unlikely the state would return to the old rules immediately.

‘We’ll still have to get tested if we have symptoms. We’ll still have to wear masks in a number of settings. There will still be limits to the number of people that can come to your home,’ Mr Andrews said.

‘We are looking to get back to as close as to what that kind of resting COVID normal was, as we can. But we’ve got to do it safely.’

International flights into Melbourne have been diverted during the lockdown, and the state government has confirmed flights will not resume on Thursday.

Mr Andrews said authorities are looking at constructing purpose-built quarantine accommodation outside of central Melbourne, based on the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory.

It comes as COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria confirmed a ‘small group’ of employees move between hotels and another office.

Managers, executive staff and clinical leaders work for Healthcare Australia, the group that provides medical services for ‘cold hotels’, travel between their St Kilda Road office and quarantine hotels on some days.

‘These staff members may be required to enter a green zone in quarantine hotel to oversee HCA teams on site, but there is no requirement for them to enter a red zone or have contact with residents,’ a CQV spokeswoman told AAP.

A key recommendation of Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry interim report stipulated that ‘every effort must be made to ensure that all personnel working at the facility are not working across multiple quarantine sites’.

More to follow.