Highlights
- Record 725 COVID-19 cases recorded in Victoria on Aug 5
- Stage 4 lockdown for businesses starts in Victoria
- Most businesses asked to shut shop, move it home or online
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday revealed the state had recorded 725 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
The previous daily record number of cases was 723, which was recorded last Thursday.
Mr Andrews also confirmed another 15 virus-related deaths, taking the state's toll to 162.
12 of those deaths are linked to aged care settings and one man in his 30s is among the fatalities.
Mr Andrews urged Victorians to follow the rules as high numbers of infections were not sustainable.
"When you look at today's numbers, and they do jump around from day to day, but the notion of more than 700 cases, that is not sustainable. We need to drive those numbers down. This strategy is designed to do just that. But I'd ask all of those Victorians who have perhaps not been making the best of choices - please change your behaviour."
There are currently more than 7,000 active cases in the state. It comes as Victoria enters stage four restrictions for businesses from August 6, 2020.
From Thursday, essential workers will be required to carry a permit at all times.
The state government's website crashed on Wednesday morning when people rushed to obtain permits online.
Vandna Kukreja, an accountant who lives in Melbourne’s West, a COVID-19 hotspot told SBS Hindi, “I have been fortunate to still have a job as most of the work I do, can be done from home.”
"But my friends and family members have lost jobs because of the lockdowns and are struggling to make ends meet.
“My sister is pregnant and has lost her job. It is tough for her family to manage a mortgage and other expenses on one person's job seeker payments,” she told SBS Hindi.
Rohit Kapila who runs his own business in Melbourne and was celebrating the success of his business just a few months too has been hit hard by the second, severe lockdown in Melbourne.
"Just a few months back, I was proud of my journey. I made it from arriving as an international student to this country to launching and running my own business successfully. But now I am struggling to keep my business afloat," Mr Kapila told SBS Hindi.
“I am forced to take the equity from my home to keep paying rent, mortgage, and other expenses. If I don’t then I am looking at bankruptcy,” he said.
He says the help from the government has been 'too little and too late'.
