Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has issued a stern warning against taking "day trips" across Melbourne for exercise as coronavirus cases skyrocket.
Victoria recorded 428 new cases of the virus on Friday, .
Mr Andrews also announced on Friday three more people - a man in his 80s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s - had died.
On Thursday night, the Victorian government tightened exercise rules for people in the locked-down areas of metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
Mr Andrews on Friday urged people in those postcodes to stay in their local areas if they wanted to exercise citing reports of someone from Coburg making a 200 kilometre round trip to undertake physical activity in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula.
“That is not daily exercise. That is a day trip and day trips are not on. There is nothing about that that is compatible with staying at home,” he told reporters.
"If you can walk, if you want to go for a walk then you can go for a walk close to home. That makes sense. Otherwise ... that will do nothing but spread the virus.”
Mr Andrews said it was crucial people in locked-down areas followed the rules.
“These are sacrifices, I know, that no-one is enjoying, being in a six-week lockdown. Stay-at-home orders are frustrating,” he said.
“But at the same time, they are the only tool that we have. We do not want to extend this longer than six weeks.”
The financial penalty for breaching rules in Victoria is $1,652.
Of the new cases announced on Friday, 57 were connected to known outbreaks and 370 were under investigation. One other case was in hotel quarantine.
The numbers brought the total number of deaths in the state to 32 and the number of cases to 5,165. There are 122 people in hospital and 31 in intensive care.
Friday's figures are a sharp increase on the 317 new cases recorded on Thursday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the jump of more than 100 cases was “disappointing and concerning”.
“We have not turned the corner here. Worse than that, 428 cases does not just represent that,” he said.
“Tragically there will be several who require intensive care support and a number of people will die and whenever we have a day of these numbers, that is the case. So it has to turn around."
As cases outside of metropolitan Melbourne increase, more testing sites are being set up in regional centres.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said there has been 42 cases of the virus recorded in regional Victoria since the start of July.
The regional testing sites will be established in Echuca, Wonthaggi, Bendigo, Shepparton, Koo Wee Rup and Mildura.
Mr Andrews also issued a directive for people living in regional areas of the state should wear facemasks in public places where they cannot practice physical distancing.
The mask advice is the same issued for residents in locked down metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
Residents in metropolitan Melbourne are subject to stay-at-home orders and can only leave home for essential work, study, exercise or care responsibilities. People are also advised to wear masks in public.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
News and information is available in 63 languages at
