Fun police vow to use helicopters and drones to shut down AFL Grand Final parties in parks, beaches and homes across Melbourne – as five suburbs are put on coronavirus alert amid fears lockdown WON'T be eased on Sunday
Melburnians hoping to celebrate the AFL Grand Final this weekend have been warned police will use drones and helicopters to shut down illegal gatherings.
The city is slowly starting to emerge from a brutal four month lockdown which was enforced to stem the spread of the second COVID-19 outbreak.
But Premier Daniel Andrews said people must still be on high alert to avoid yet another catastrophic outbreak.
He was initially poised to ease several restrictions from Sunday, but a new outbreak linked to an Islamic school and tower block have threatened to derail the progress.
Five suburbs were warned to be particularly cautious as a tower block was placed into quarantine and school in East Preston shut down after a grade five student tested positive to the virus on Wednesday.
Melburnians hoping to celebrate the AFL Grand Final this weekend have been warned police will use drones and helicopters to shut down illegal gatherings. Pictured: Tigers fans celebrating the 2019 victory
Five suburbs were warned to be particularly cautious as a tower block was placed into quarantine and school in East Preston shut down after a grade five student tested positive to the virus on Wednesday
Right across Melbourne, drones and helicopters will be used to monitor crowds at parks, beaches and hot spots to ensure they don't defy health directives during Saturday's landmark Grand Final. Pictured: Tigers fans celebrating the AFL 2019 Grand Final
The suburbs subject to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services alert include Dallas, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Preston and West Heidelberg.
Right across Melbourne, drones and helicopters will be used to monitor crowds at parks, beaches and hot spots to ensure they don't defy health directives during Saturday's landmark Grand Final.
The match will be played in Queensland for the first time in its history because Victoria wasn't able to contain the virus in time.
But there are concerns AFL fans will be tempted to let their hair down and celebrate the game in spite of tough gathering restrictions which remain in place.
Specialist 'enforcement squads' will also monitor homes and backyards, with particular attention expected for Richmond and Geelong, the Herald Sun reported.
Meanwhile the metropolitan 'ring of steel' to prevent people from the city travelling to regional Victoria will be bolstered to ensure nobody is able to slip through.
In 2020, homes will be checked and monitored by police to ensure nobody is breaking COVID-19 health directives. Richmond Tigers member of 35 years, Krysty Hand is painting her front fence yellow and black ahead of the 2020 AFL Grand Final
The match will be played in Queensland for the first time in its history because Victoria wasn't able to contain the virus in time. But there are concerns AFL fans will be tempted to let their hair down and celebrate the game in spite of tough gathering restrictions which remain in place
The city is slowly starting to emerge from a brutal four month lockdown which was enforced to stem the spread of the second COVID-19 outbreak. Pictured: People having a picnic in the park on October 18 after some restrictions lifted
AFL fans will be allowed to go to several parks throughout Melbourne to have a drink with up to 10 friends
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius warned officers would be handing out fines of up to $4,957 to rule breakers across the weekend.
'We will have a strong, dedicated and highly visible presence right from Geelong to Richmond, as well as other popular public locations including parks and gardens to ensure it is a safe day for everyone,' he said.
'Anyone found to be deliberately or blatantly breaching the restrictions can expect to receive a fine.'
Melburnians are not permitted to invite guests to their home to watch the game or for a barbecue, and public drinking is limited to very few locations.
Flagstaff Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and Jolimont Reserve are all welcoming people in groups of up to 10 from no more than two households to enjoy drinks in the park.
While Mr Andrews acknowledges it is important to celebrate and enjoy the tradition of the Grand Final, he warned Victoria is not yet safe from the virus.
Specialist 'enforcement squads' will also monitor homes and backyards, with particular attention expected for Richmond and Geelong
Melburnians are not permitted to invite guests to their home to watch the game or for a barbecue, and public drinking is limited to very few locations
Celebrating in the streets, like during last year's celebrations, will result in fines
A pupil at East Preston Islamic College tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, plunging the school into quarantine as contact tracing gets underway.
'The college has taken positive steps to manage this situation and is working closely with us,' the state's Commander of Testing Jeroen Weimar said in a statement late Wednesday night.
'We need everyone working together to tackle this virus.'
School staff and students, and their households, will now quarantine for 14 days.
The 120 residents of a housing block in Broadmeadows have also been told to isolate 48 hours and monitor for symptoms of the infection after authorities established links to the school.
'This timeframe allows for the department to ensure the community is aware of the situation and for residents to get tested and get their results back before determining what the next steps are,' Mr Weimar said.
The celebrations for the 2020 AFL Grand Final will look different to the 2019 after match celebration
Victoria was poised to unveil a further easing of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, after six straight days with new cases below five
A close contact linked to the East Preston school has also been identified at Dallas Brooks Primary School, which has also been closed for deep cleaning as a precautionary measure.
A community door-knocking program will start on Thursday to alert residents in the suburbs about the potential exposure to coronavirus and provide information about testing sites.
On Wednesday, Victoria reported no deaths and only three new cases.
Victoria was poised to unveil a further easing of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, after six straight days with new cases below five.
But according to Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake, the latest cases linked to the school and social housing tower could derail the progress.
'In the first few days you need to try and identify all the cases and try and work out who those contacts are, so having this focused blitz early on is really important and will determine how successful your contact tracing is,' he said.
The state's death toll remains at 817 and the national figure is 905, with only one death in the past week.