The local government area in the town of Latrobe in the Gippsland region of eastern Victoria will enter a seven-day lockdown from 11:59 p.m. tonight, in response to a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases .

Victorian health officials said on Tuesday evening that the area would be subject to the same restrictions as metropolitan Melbourne, excluding the curfew.

A spokesperson for the health department said cases in the town of Latrobe had increased rapidly in recent days, with 18 active cases in the council area on Tuesday.

Four more cases confirmed today will be reported in tomorrow’s figures.

“Public health teams are very concerned about transmission in the Latrobe Valley and have determined that the seven-day lockdown is necessary to limit the growth of cases, as has been the case in Ballarat and Geelong,” said the spokesperson.

Earlier on Tuesday, Victorian Minister of Health Martin Foley said it was unfortunate that a gathering of several households in the Latrobe Valley had resulted in new cases.

“People don’t think [the rules apply] to them, ”he said.

“People think we’re all good, [but it] just take a case with this highly infectious Delta variant, until we have the vaccination levels where we want them to be, for this kind of epidemic to happen. “

The lockdown means residents of the town of Latrobe can only leave their homes for limited reasons, including to purchase needed goods and services, care or compassionate reasons (including medical care and taking a COVID test. -19), licensed work or licensed education, outdoor exercise and social interaction in small groups, and getting a COVID-19 vaccine locally.

They may also leave the house to visit an intimate partner or a single social “bubble buddy”. No other visitors are allowed.

Outdoor shopping, exercise and social interaction will be limited to 9 miles from your home. Wearing a mask will be compulsory inside and outside.

Residents cannot leave the Latrobe town area and travel elsewhere in the Victoria area except for limited reasons, such as authorized work and authorized education, compassionate care and reasons, visiting d ‘an intimate partner and obtaining necessary goods and services that cannot be obtained locally.

The health department said a rapid response test team has been deployed to provide support at the Ashby Street indoor sports stadium test site in Traralgon, and additional resources will be provided to increase capacity and extend opening hours.

The test center joins the testing sites of the Australian Clinical Laboratories at Gray Street in Traralgon, the Latrobe Respiratory Clinic on Princes Drive in Morwell, the Dorevitch Pathology Site at Latrobe Regional Hospital and the Moe Senior Citizens’ Center on Langford Street.

Testing capacity will also be boosted at Baw Baw and Bass Coast, they said.

Latrobe Valley Mayor Sharon Gibson urged residents to come together and support each other, rather than looking for someone to blame.

She said news that some residents may have gathered illegally over the AFL Grand Final long weekend could be a symptom of people struggling and unwilling to harm others.

“Please be kind to each other. People are struggling mentally; they are desperately concerned about their businesses, their homes, their jobs, ”she said.

“Sometimes people do things and don’t think about the consequences, although they can go very far as we find out. “

Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie has urged residents of the town of Latrobe to follow lockdown restrictions, get tested if they have symptoms and get vaccinated if they don’t. had not already done so.

“We have just seen the communities of Ballarat and Geelong go through an epidemic, so we know it can be done – it is vital that we protect the local community and the rest of the Victoria region from major epidemics”, a- he declared.