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 Amid worries the cluster, which has grown to nine cases in two days,
could spark a major outbreak, Victoria imposed social restrictions
and made face masks mandatory in hotels, restaurants, and other
indoor venues from 6 p.m. (0800 GMT) on Tuesday until June 4.
The latest outbreak ends Victoria's run of zero cases for nearly
three months and saw New Zealand suspend quarantine-free travel with
the state and the neighbouring state of South Australia impose
travel restrictions.
Australia has avoided the high COVID-19 numbers seen in many
developed countries by closing its international borders in the
early stages of the pandemic and with lockdowns. It has reported
just over 30,000 cases and 910 deaths.
Thousands of people in Melbourne have been ordered to self isolate
and undergo COVID-19 tests with health alerts issued for several
sites, including one of the largest shopping centres in the country.
One of the cases had a high viral load while he visited some venues
prompting authorities to warn Melbourne's five million residents to
brace for more positive cases in the next few days.
Authorities urged Victorians to get vaccinated.
"There are right now millions of Victorians that are eligible to be
vaccinated. They shouldn't wait for tomorrow, they shouldn't wait
for next week. They should move now and get vaccinated," James
Merlino, Victoria state's acting premier, told reporters in
Melbourne.
Victoria was the hardest-hit state during a second wave late last
year, accounting for about 70% of total cases and 90% of deaths in
Australia. The state, the country's second most populous, only
controlled the outbreak after one of the world's longest and
strictest lockdowns.
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 Five new locally acquired cases
were reported in Victoria on Tuesday, a day
after four infections were recorded in
Melbourne.
All cases belong to one extended family across
different households and could be traced back to
the variant found in an overseas traveller who
returned to Melbourne early this month after
completing quarantine in the city of Adelaide.
Authorities, however, said they could not yet find how the latest
cases contracted the virus from the overseas traveller.
New Zealand's COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the
'travel bubble' with Victoria has been suspended for three days from
Tuesday evening.
"New Zealand officials have assessed that the most cautious option
is to pause the travel bubble with Victoria as there are still
several unknowns with the outbreak," Hipkins said.
Melbourne's fresh outbreak comes as Australian authorities try to
ramp up a sluggish national vaccination drive with health experts
worried many people were delaying getting inoculated because of the
country's success in effectively eliminating the virus.
(Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Michael Perry)
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