Victoria announces more than 200 new cases and one death

A man in his 90s has died with Covid-19 in a Victorian hospital, with the state recording another 216 cases of coronavirus.

Only 30 of the new infections were connected to contained outbreaks and 186 were under investigation.

There are now at least 1249 active cases in Victoria.

About 5 million Victorians in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire are under strict stay-at-home orders after weeks of worrying transmission of the deadly virus.

"This is not an ordinary weekend," Premier Daniel Andrews said. "You've got to be in your home if you are in the metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire areas."

Those in the lockdown zones are allowed to leave their homes for four main reasons: shopping for essential supplies, work or education, medical care or caregiving and exercise.

Victoria has 49 with coronavirus in hospital, including 15 people in intensive care units.

The death of the man in his 90s is the 23rd coronavirus-related fatality in Victoria and brings the national death toll to 107.

"We send our thoughts and prayers and best wishes to his loved ones," Andrews said.

Those in the restricted areas are now encouraged to wear masks when not able to keep physically distant from others in a bid to stop community transmission of the virus.

Andrews also flagged wearing masks would be an important part of Victoria's coronavirus response, even when the six-week lockdown ends.

The government yesterday announced 2 million reusable masks would be distributed as part of the push, and Andrews said more detail would be given about that "soon".

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said he hoped to see the restrictions having an effect on suppression of the virus "from now".

But he said challenges remained and "we know there will be transmission because of the work people do", so people and workplaces needed to ensure they were "doing the right things".

Additional police resources have been deployed to enforce the stage three restrictions, and individuals face on-the-spot fines of $A1652 ($NZ1746) for breaches of the orders.

Andrews said while there might be room for interpretation in the stage three restrictions, he urged people to follow them instead of looking for loopholes.

"That thinking will only see more virus, more cases and a longer lockdown," he said.