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The ongoing COVID-19 crisis in greater metropolitan Melbourne has forced Premier Daniel Andrews to impose the mandatory wearing of masks.
From 11.59pm on Wednesday 22 July, citizens of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must wear a face covering when leaving the home.
Those caught flouting the rule will be hit with a $200 fine.
The latest restriction comes as Victoria reported 363 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday and 217 on Saturday.
The 580 new cases over the weekend came off the back of Victoria's worst day of new COVID-19 cases on Friday 17 July when the state recorded 428 new cases.
Elsewhere in Australia there were 18 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales on Sunday and 15 on Saturday.
A club in Batemans Bay on NSW's South Coast has been linked to at least eight cases of COVID-19 leading to the closure of the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.
All those who worked at or visited the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on the 13, 15, 16 and 17 June have been directed to immediately get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate.
The health direction for the Soldiers Club joins a number of other business in NSW that have been impacted by confirmed cases of COVID-19 including Plus Fitness in Campbelltown, Crossroads Hotel in Casula, Planet Fitness in Casula, Picton Hotel in Picton, and Thai Rock Restaurant in Wetherill Park.
Next Federal Parliament sitting cancelled
The next fortnightly sitting of Federal Parliament will not go ahead due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and community transmission in Victoria and regional New South Wales.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the next sitting of Federal Parliament, initially planned to go ahead over the first two weeks of August, posed an unnecessary risk to parliamentarians.
"The entry of a high-risk group of individuals could jeopardise the health situation in the ACT and place residents at unnecessary risk of infection," said Kelly.
Parliament is now due to return on 24 August.
Updated at 10:18am AEST on 20 July 2020.
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