Ballarat will tonight (Wednesday 15 September 2021) enter a seven-day lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 in that community.    

The Victorian Government says there are a growing number of signals in Ballarat that are of concern to public health officials. Of particular concern are multiple waste-water detections in the Ballarat area that are not accounted for by current positive cases. These detections have been identified across the city. 

Because of these combined factors, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has declared that from 11.59pm tonight, Ballarat will have the same restrictions – except for the curfew – in place as metropolitan Melbourne.  

This will last for seven days until 11.59pm on Wednesday 22 September 2021. 

For Ballarat residents, there will be only five reasons to leave home:  

• Shopping for necessary goods and services
• Authorised work and study
• Caregiving or compassionate reasons
• Exercise
• Getting vaccinated

Exercise and shopping will be limited to 5km from home. If there’s no shops in your 5km radius, you can travel to the ones closest to you.  

Masks will be mandatory indoors and outdoors – and there will be no visitors allowed to the home.  

Exercise will be limited to just you and one other person, plus dependants if they can’t be left at home. Playgrounds will remain open for children under 12 but with only one parent or carer and adults should not remove their masks to eat or drink.  

People living Ballarat are encouraged to get tested immediately if they have any symptoms and get vaccinated if they haven’t booked an appointment.  

There is a walk-in testing centre at the Ballarat Respiratory Clinic on Dana Street, and a drive through on Skipton Street. 

Meanwhile, the Chief Health Officer has declared that from 11.59pm tonight, Shepparton will have their restriction settings downgraded to match the rest of regional Victoria.