Victoria has recorded 439 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths overnight, as Premier Daniel Andrews revealed more than 800 people who should have been isolating could not be found when visited at home by authorities.
The new cases take the state's total number of infections to 12,335, including 1,186 active cases in aged care. More than 400 people are now being treated for the virus in hospital, while all of the new fatalities were linked to aged care facilities.
The victims include one man in his 70s, one man and three women in their 80s, two men and three women in their 90s, and one woman who was more than 100 years old.
Delivering the daily COVID-19 update on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews also provided further details about how Melbourne's new Stage 4 restrictions would be enforced, including a new $4,957 on-the-spot fine for people found breaching isolation orders.
Mr Andrews said it was the "largest on-the-spot fine on the statute books" in the state.
On Tuesday morning, Australian Defence Force officers and health officials had conducted more than 3,000 visits to households where a person should have been isolating. Of these, 800 of the people under isolation orders could not be found.
As a result, residents who have been ordered to isolate will no longer be able to leave the home for exercise. "Fresh air at the front door. Fresh air in your front yard or back yard or opening a window. That's what you're going to have to do," Mr Andrews said.
For people who are found to have repeatedly breached orders, a maximum penalty of $20,000 can be delivered through the courts. All of the 800 people that could not be located have been referred to police, Mr Andrews added.
"You will be door-knocked. You will be visited. If you're not at home you will be fine fined," Mr Andrews continued.
The new fine follows that nearly all retail businesses would be forced to close their brick and mortar stores and a number of industries scaled back from Wednesday under Melbourne's Stage 4 restrictions, which have also seen the introduction of a curfew between 8pm and 5am.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said dozens of people had knowingly breached the Melbourne curfew on Monday night, including someone who said they were "bored" and another who was caught attempting to buy a car after 8pm.
More than 160 coronavirus-related fines were issued on Monday, Ms Neville said, warning that the number of fines was likely to grow. Sixty of the fines were $200 penalties for not wearing a mask in public.
The window for police using discretion when it comes to issuing fines for public health order breaches was "virtually closed", Victorian Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said, revealing approximately 1,500 officers were on the streets enforcing restrictions each day.
"We can't be prescriptive for every circumstance, but it will only be in an exceptional circumstance that Victoria Police will be using discretion because we just have to stop this movement," he said.
Tuesday's daily tally is slightly higher than the 429 new infections reported on Monday. , including three people who acquired the virus in Victoria.
Metropolitan Melbourne residents are subject to Stage 4 restrictions and must comply with a curfew between the hours of 8pm and 5am. During the curfew, people in Melbourne can only leave their house for work, and essential health, care or safety reasons.
Between 5am and 8pm, people in Melbourne can leave the home for exercise, to shop for necessary goods and services, for work, for health care, or to care for a sick or elderly relative. The full list of restrictions .
All Victorians must wear a face covering when they leave home, no matter where they live.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
