From 11:59pm tonight, if you live in the Melbourne metropolitan area or the Shire of Mitchell you need to Stay at Home.
The Victorian Government has changed the restrictions as more Victorians have been diagnosed with CoronaVirus (COVID-19) in the past week. These new restrictions are needed to help stop the CoronaVirus from spreading to more people, and to keep you safe.
These Stay at Home restrictions will be in place for six weeks – until mid-August.
We understand that this will be a really tough time for a lot of people. Please look after yourself, and make sure that you reach out for help if you need it. We have included phone numbers and resources below to help you get through this time.
What do Stay at Home restrictions mean?
From 11:59pm tonight, Wednesday 8th July, there will be four reasons that you can leave home:
- Shopping for food or other essential items
- To provide caregiving, for compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment
- For exercise (outdoor exercise only, with only one other person, or members of your household)
- Work or study, if you cannot work or study from home
Otherwise, you must stay home.
Additional restrictions have also been put in place:
- You cannot have visitors to your home except for caregiving, compassionate reasons, or receiving services.
- You can no longer visit friends and family who live at another household, except to see your intimate partner, for caregiving, compassionate reasons, or providing services.
These restrictions are expected to be in place for six weeks, until mid-August.
Disability Gatway Helpline
A new service called the Disability Gateway (originally known as The Disability Information helpline) is available for people with disability who need help because of the CoronaVirus (COVID-19).
The Gateway can help families, carers and support workers, too.
The Disability Gatway is free, private and fact-checked.
You can contact the Helpline in the following ways:
- Phone (free call): 1800 643 787
- If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment, you can call the National Relay Service on 133 677 and ask to be connected to the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 643 787.
- If you require support in another language, you can use the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) free of charge by:
- calling the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 643 787 and asking for an interpreter, or
- calling TIS on 131 450 and ask to be connected to the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 643 787.
- You can also chat online by clicking on the weekday livechat link, then on the button in the bottom right corner, or on the weekend livechat link.
The Helpline is available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm (AEST). It’s not available on national public holidays.
When you call the Helpline, you will speak to a person who will:
- Listen carefully to you.
- Use their connections to find things out, check the facts, and get information for you.
- Transfer you to services that can help you.
- Transfer you to a phone counsellor for emotional support, if you would like.
- Give you clear and accessible information.
Other information and resources
Below are links to information and resources about the new restrictions for Melbourne, including Easy English and Auslan resources.
- 7th July – Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews media statement – video with Auslan
- Auslan update on Stay at Home restrictions
- Links to Victorian Government resources
- Easy English resources
- Stop. Melbourne You must Stay at Home (DOCX)
- Stop. Melbourne You must Stay at Home (PDF)
- There are new rules for people in some housing towers (DOCX)
- There are new rules for people in some housing towers (PDF)
- Housing towers – Phone numbers for help (DOCX)
- Housing towers – Phone numbers for help (PDF)
You can find more resources at the CoronaVirus Hub on the AFDO website.
