MELBOURNE: The Australian state of Victoria will enter a snap five-day lockdown from Friday midnight as a new Covid-19 cluster linked to a quarantine hotel in Melbourne increased to thirteen in number.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the Australia will return to stage four lockdown from 12 p.m. on Friday night to prevent further community transmission of a highly infectious Covid-19 strain, reports Xinhua news agency.

Under the rules, Victoria residents can only leave their homes for four reasons such as shopping for essentials; care and care-giving; exercise; and essential work. Exercise and shopping will be limited to 5 km from home and face masks will need to be worn indoors and outdoors. No home visitors will be allowed.

All non-essential retail, gyms, pools, community centers, entertainment venues and libraries will close. Cafes and restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway. Religious gatherings and weddings will not be permitted, and funerals will be limited to 10 people.

"I know this is not the news Victorians wanted to hear today, I know this is not the place we want to be in... We have to make difficult decisions to maintain what we have built," Andrews said on Friday.

"If we wait for this theory that it might be out there, there might be more cases than we know about, it would be too late, and then we would face the chance of being locked down until a vaccine is rolled out."

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