Victoria renews restrictions after hotel quarantine worker COVID-19 case

Victoria has introduced tough new restrictions following a hotel quarantine worker contracting COVID-19, ending the state's 28-day run of no local transmission.

As of 11.59pm on February 3, the state reverted to what Premier Daniel Andrews is calling its "New Year's Eve" settings.

This means private gatherings will be limited to 15, and masks are ordered to be worn by people aged 12 and over at private and public indoor gatherings.

READ MORE: Australian Open hotel quarantine worker tests positive to coronavirus

The projected move to 75 per cent capacity in the workplace is also on hold, with limits now to stay at 25 per cent for the public sector and 50 per cent for the private sector.

Mr Andrews said these moves were being taken out of an "abundance of caution" and urged anybody with symptoms to get tested as soon as Thursday morning.

READ MORE: How Victoria plans to roll out Australia's first COVID-19 vaccine

"I'm confident that we've got this in good time and we are working as hard as we possibly can, and people will be working many hundreds - hundreds of people will be working throughout the evening, and for as long as it takes, to track down every single close contact, to isolate them, to test them, to track and trace and isolate, and to essentially contain and smother this, just as we did at Blackrock around Christmastime - New Year's Eve, and indeed many other outbreaks throughout the course of 2020," he said.

It is believed the worker, who Mr Andrews said had been extremely cooperative, could have contacted the highly-contagious UK strain of the virus.

READ MORE: New local COVID-19 case in Victoria as thousands turn out to get tested

New statewide restrictions

• The limit on the number of people gathering in a household will be reduced from 30 to 15, meaning the household members plus 15 visitors (excluding children under 12 months of age).
• Masks will be mandatory in public indoor spaces. If you have visitors in your home, it is strongly recommended that masks are worn during the visit. Masks must be worn in indoor public spaces apart from when eating or drinking. If you are planning to leave your home – take a mask.
• The 75 per cent 'return to work' cap in both public and private sectors scheduled for Monday 8 February will be paused and the current cap of 50% will remain in place.

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