Premier Daniel Andrews has warned Victoria may introduce stricter shutdown measures before the rest of the country, as the state's confirmed coronavirus cases jump by 55 to 466.

Key points: Mr Andrews said individual states may move to a more comprehensive shutdown before the National Cabinet does

Mr Andrews said individual states may move to a more comprehensive shutdown before the National Cabinet does He told Victorians to stay home where they could, warning "no party is worth someone's life"

He told Victorians to stay home where they could, warning "no party is worth someone's life" Four of the new cases are in healthcare workers from Werribee Mercy Hospital in Melbourne's west

It follows a meeting of the National Cabinet late on Tuesday night, where state, territory and federal leaders expanded a list of banned activities in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The National Cabinet agreed states and territories would need to take individual measures to respond to the pandemic.

Mr Andrews said Victoria — and NSW, which has the most cases in the country — could not wait for totals in other jurisdictions to grow because it would be too late.

"We can't wait for everyone else to catch up," he said.

"If we did that, then in Victoria and New South Wales, this thing would be so far away from us, that we will look like Italy."

Flinders Street Station has been virtually empty as businesses close under the restrictions and Victorians heed warnings to stay at home. ( ABC News: Kyle Harley )

While the current restrictions do not constitute a full lockdown, authorities have urged Australians to stay home wherever possible.

"If you are don't have a reason to access essential services, you must stay home," Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.

"Stay home or lives will be lost, I cannot say it clearly enough."

The shutdown is expected to be in place for months, and authorities have warned the peak for Victoria's coronavirus pandemic is likely to be in May or June.

Mr Andrews said the list of restrictions announced last night was "stage two" of the state's coronavirus response, but warned "there will be a stage three".

"The exact nature of those measures and the timing it occurs, I will stand here and very clearly and directly explain to Victorians what they need to do at that stage," Mr Andrews said.

"But right now, if you can stay at home you must stay at home. You should not be having friends over for a dinner party, you should not be out shopping if you don't need it.

"No party is worth someone's life."

Mr Andrews said he was in constant conversation with his New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian, and the two states were in "lock step in doing what needs to be done".

Food courts can now only serve takeaway under the stage two restrictions. ( ABC News: Ron Ekkel )

Hospital workers diagnosed with COVID-19

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said four healthcare workers from Werribee Mercy Hospital had contracted coronavirus.

"All of those healthcare workers are in a stable condition. This really speaks to the risk that's involved here. We will sadly have more healthcare workers diagnosed with COVID-19," Ms Mikakos said.

"I can't stress enough that our healthcare workers are putting their lives at risk.

"We should all be doing our part to save our health system."

In a statement, a spokeswoman from Mercy Health said an emergency department staff member tested positive to the coronavirus.

People in contact with the worker were in self-isolation and three more staff members from the hospital tested positive on Wednesday.

The hospital is working with health authorities to contact patients and staff considered at risk of infection.

The emergency department was "systematically sanitised" after the first case was confirmed and remains open to the public, the spokeswoman said.

Non-urgent elective surgeries will be cancelled in response to the pandemic. ( ABC News: Damian Mcintyre )

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday announced all elective surgery, other than category one and urgent category two cases, will be suspended from midnight.

Mr Morrison said the cancellations, which apply to public and private hospitals, were based on the advice of the expert medical panel.

Elective surgeries are broken down into urgent cases in category one, semi-urgent cases in category two, and non-urgent cases in category three.

Ms Mikakos said urgent heart, neurological and cancer procedures would not be affected in Victoria.

'Not an elderly person's disease'

The 466 cases in Victoria range from pre-school aged children to people in their late eighties.

Twelve people are in hospital, including two people in intensive care — one of whom is aged in their 30s.

"COVID-19 is not an elderly person's disease," Ms Mikakos said.

Victoria COVID-19 snapshot Melbourne's 14-day average: 34.4

Melbourne's 14-day average: 34.4 Regional Victoria's 14-day average: 1.6

Regional Victoria's 14-day average: 1.6 Current active cases: 657

Current active cases: 657 Active cases in regional Victoria: 23

Active cases in regional Victoria: 23 Active cases in healthcare workers: 79

Active cases in healthcare workers: 79 Active cases linked to aged care: 332

Active cases linked to aged care: 332 Deaths: 763

Deaths: 763 Cases in hospital: 92

Cases in hospital: 92 Intensive care patients: 6

Intensive care patients: 6 Tests since pandemic began: More than 2.58 million

Tests since pandemic began: More than 2.58 million Confirmed cases so far: 20,051 Updated Monday September 21 Latest Victorian Government info

Authorities believe eight of the cases may have been acquired through community transmission and 72 cases are still under investigation.

Regional Victorian local government areas have recorded 47 confirmed cases, with 11 in Greater Geelong, 5 in the Ballarat area, 4 in Mitchell, 3 in Mount Alexander, 2 in Baw Baw, 2 in Greater Shepparton, 2 on the Surf Coast, 2 in Warrnambool, 2 in Latrobe and 2 in Macedon Ranges.

Bass Coast, East Gippsland, Gannawarra, Hepburn, Mildura, Moira, Moyne, Moorabool, Northern Grampians, South Gippsland, Wellington and Yarriambiack have all recorded one case.

Ms Mikakos said the Department of Health and Human Services had been expanding the contact tracing team, which works to notify people who may be exposed that they need to self-isolate.

She said people who had been exposed to a confirmed case would receive text messages from Thursday.

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'You cannot queue for intensive care,' Premier warns

Last night, Mr Morrison said the list of businesses and activities that must stop by midnight included amusement parks, play centres, health clubs, swimming pools, galleries, auction houses, real estate auctions and beauty therapy.

Weddings are limited to five people and a maximum of 10 people can attend funerals.

Supermarkets and shopping centres remain open, but the states and territories will set their own rules for markets.

Prahran Market had a special morning for elderly shoppers on Wednesday. ( ABC News: Ron Ekkel )

Schools will stay open under this stage of the coronavirus response, although Victoria this week ended the school term early.

Mr Andrews warned it would not be a regular school holiday.

He reiterated calls for Victorians to follow hygiene practices like coughing into elbows and staying home when sick, and for people to practice physical distancing, like staying at least 1.5 metres away from others where possible.

"No parties, it's very, very simple. No trips to the supermarket just to hang out," he said.

"Lives are absolutely what this is about. People won't just be queuing for Centrelink payments, they will be queuing for heart and lung machines and ventilators and intensive care beds. You cannot queue for intensive care."

On Monday, a special Victoria Police coronavirus taskforce of 500 officers was announced to enforce the restrictions.

"If you see people flouting the rules, call them out," Mr Andrews said.

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The Police Association Victoria wants more powers to do the job, calling for a declaration of a state of disaster to be imposed.

Association secretary, Wayne Gatt, said under the current state of emergency police took their lead from the health department.

Under a state of disaster, the Premier would have the power to delegate that authority directly to police.

"If police are asked to control the movement of people in our community, those powers don't presently exist in a state of emergency," he said.

"They could if delegated under a state of disaster."

Victoria Police said people who flouted the rules could be fined, arrested or given an official warning.

"These are unprecedented times and Victoria Police continues to work with Government to ensure it has the right powers to keep the community safe," the force said in a statement.

Rent relief flagged

Thousands of workers have lost their jobs as businesses have closed during the shutdown, prompting the MyGov website to crash and thousands to wait in long Centrelink lines around the country.

Mr Andrews said he was "very confident" there would be announcements in coming days about rent relief for residential and commercial tenancies.

"I don't want to see people being turfed out of their homes. It's very difficult if you're a landlord and you've got a payment to make to the bank and your tenant can't pay the rent," he said.

"If we can get some targeted support that's hardship based then I think we can find our way forward."

Auctions will be banned from midnight Wednesday night. ( ABC News: Michael Coggan )

Real estate auctions and open houses will be banned under the stage two shutdown.

Vice president of the Real Estate Institute of Victoria, Adam Docking, said the industry would adapt by live streaming auctions and conducting video tours of homes.

"There could be a bit of a silver lining that it could actually increase employment, because if we have to do open houses over a one or two hour period where we're doing that booking, it'll take more staff," he said.

All campsites, caravan parks and campgrounds will be closed from midnight under the non-essential travel exclusions, the Department of Environment, Land and Water said.

However, the sites will remain open to people who live there permanently, or those who are unable to return to their primary address.

That includes tourists from overseas who have found themselves stuck caravanning around Australia after their flights home were cancelled.

Racing meets cancelled, judge flags reduced sentences

Horse racing meets in Victoria have been called off until at least Friday while a licenced participant undergoes testing for COVID-19.

The person was on the same flight as a confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 12.

The suspension means that Wednesday's racing at Sandown was abandoned and Thursday's scheduled meets at Kilmore and Pakenham are cancelled.

"A further update will be provided tomorrow on the progress of the test and whether racing can resume on Friday," a statement from Racing Victoria read.

Meanwhile, a Melbourne court has been told a man sentenced to a decade in prison for manslaughter could get a reduced sentence if he is held in isolation due to coronavirus.

Travis John Wills was sentenced over the stabbing death of Raichele Galea in Geelong in 2017.

In his sentencing remarks, Justice Paul Coghlan said if a COVID-19 outbreak caused a lockdown in prisons, every day Wills served in isolation would count as four days served.

A spokesperson for the Corrections Minister said discounts on prisoner sentences would not be automatic and that prisoners would have to apply for "emergency management days".

Read the Premier's statement on the new restrictions:

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