Andrews: "Whilst I never thought that I would be telling people not to go to work, that is what we have to do in order to stop the spread of this wildly infectious virus, this deadly virus."

In Metro Melbourne:

Supermarkets, groceries, bottle shops, pharmacies, banks, newsagencies, post-offices, frontline response (health, police, etc) - no closures, no change.

"That means people do not need to be going and buying six weeks worth of groceries."

Andrews says supermarkets, grocers and butchers will have "the fullest range they possibly can have".

"Whether every single item you might normally buy will be on the shelves, I can't guarantee that, but they will have everything that is needed."

From 11.59pm Wednesday in Melbourne:

Retail will close (click and collect and delivery only, so you're click and collecting for Bunnings)
Some manufacturing will close
Some admin will close

Andrews says meatworks, "a really significant challenge for us" will move to a 2/3 production and "those workplaces will look very different... those workers will be essentially dressed as if they are a healthcare worker. Gloves and gowns, masks and shields".

That changes, to meatworks, come into effect at midnight on Friday.

Andrews: "I can't guarantee that everybody will get every product they want in the quantities they want but everything you need will be there and there is no need
to be doing anything else other than buying things that you need when you need them".

On construction: Andrews said big government major projects were already reduced by about half.

Very large commercial non-residential building projects, of more than three stories, have "to reduce their workforce down to the practical minimum, they can have no more than 25% of their workforce working".

Smaller residential builds: max 5 people on site at any one time.

Andrews says it was a "very difficult... very challenging" decision to make that will cause "substantial pain", "but unless we have literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people at home, and not going to work... we will not pull this virus up."

All of those changes are for metro Melbourne only, except the meatworks changes which are statewide

Andrews said all businesses in regional Victoria that are forced to close because of stage 3 (restaurants, cafes) will be eligible for a $5k grant for the state government.

Metro businesses will be given a second round of $5k grants – so $5k stage 3 and $5k stage 4, total $10k.

Andrews says he is "working very closely" with the PM on these measures.

But he doesn't mention any further federal economic support - presuming that'll be for the PM to announce. No alert yet for the PM today.

Andrews said he will make announcements about penalties for businesses tomorrow.

He says that will involve further ADF support.

I don't have any more detail on these restrictions – detail handed out to press in the room.

See here: https://twitter.com/SimoLove/status/1290159715956056064?s=20

CHO Brett Sutton: "We should reflect on the fact that stage three restrictions did make a difference. They genuinely flattened the curve, but they flattened the curve to a point where we got to a plateau. A plateau of 400-500 cases every day."

Sutton: "That would have continued indefinitely because if you are really only driving transmission down to a level where one person in fact one of the individual, then you have 400, 500 cases every day ongoing."

Andrews says these changes will mean about 250,000 more people are at home, not moving around the city.

At the moment about 500,000 people are wfh in Melbourne and a further 250,000 are already stood down.

So with this, we'll have 1m fewer people moving around the city.

Andrews said he looks forward to the PM "making some
further announcements" around jobkeeper and jobseeker, particularly as it relates to people in insecure work.

He notes jobkeeper/seeker at higher rates until after the scheduled end of the 6-week lockdown.

"The PM has sought the commitment that we will be a joint effort, and I have given him the commitment, and I make that commitment to every single Victorian that we will will work together in partnership with the Commonwealth to look after those who need to be looked after"

Andrews is asked what he would say to people who will lose their job as a result of this decision.

"These are heartbreaking decisions but is simply no choice."

Andrews said they are looking at what mental health support will be required.

"we are there to provide that support, to stand with everybody who needs that support, whether it be economic and financial, let it be care, comfort and... welfare support that we need to provide."

Why is racing allowed to continue?

"It continues because it is a very low-risk activity."

No owners, no media, only broadcast.

"If you were to try to turn that industry off and take those animals out of training there would be very significant animal welfare challenges there"

You can't have a tradesperson over to your home unless it's an emergency.

So burst pipe - can call a plumber. But you can't get your house painted or start a bathroom reno.

Cleaners, lawnmowers, also not allowed, except in a carer arrangements.

You are allowed to move house if it's "already in train".

Andrews: "I don't want to see people not able to settle on their home. I don't want to see people who are supposed to move from one place to another
'cause the lease has run out unable to do so."

Andrews said he doesn't "rule out providing further support" for larger and medium-sized businesses.

That $5k grant is for small businesses.

Andrews was asked if he would extend the eviction ban.

"In terms of the changes we have made to commercial and residential tenancies, we'll have more to say about that quite soon."

On household mortgages, he says that banks have been "done their best" to support people.

Good question. "What will the curfew stop from happening?"

Sutton says it was introduced so police can more easily spot people making "non-essential visits".

So police "can have greater oversight and compliance and enforcement for those who are seen to be out after 8pm".

Sutton is asked about mental and physical health consequences of things like the 1hour exercise limit, which means parents now have to choose between exercising themselves and taking their kids for a walk.

Sutton: "there's no escaping the impact on people's mental health."

Sutton: "These are inescapable realities. We have to limit our interaction with other people in order to stop transmission. And that has an effect on what amounts to human needs."

I don't think that question was about interaction, it was about parents having to give up their daily run or bike ride because they're only allowed out for 1 hour a day and have to spend it slowly meandering behind their kids.

This is @joshgnosis right now asking about the CovidSafe app.

Can't think of a better journo to be grilling on the efficacy of the app tbh Josh is an expert.

On income support, Andrews said:

"It won't necessarily be dollar for dollar (Federal and state). But there are some cohorts of people - some groups of people - that are not covered under various federal government arrangements. We have covered them, and we will continue to."

Andrews asked if you can have a babysitter at your house.

He says: "you should, ideally, have no-one coming to your house".

Yes, but what if you're an essential worker and need support?

CHO says that will be made clear in the full legal directions.

Also in another fun/dystopian twist: we're going to have a permit system for essential workers.

The UK did this earlier this year, I recall.

Andrews: "People will have a piece of paper that says 'this is where I work, this is what I do' so that, for the purposes of enforcement, curfew, all of those things, we don't want to be putting people into that really challenging situation where they have to explain themselves."

Andrews was asked if he could see how his comments (only 1 shopping trip per day, possible limitations on what's available) would cause people to panic buy.

He says no, he doesn't think that, and then repeats all the things that maymake people panicked.