Victoria travel bubble paused again as state goes into lockdown

The bubble with Victoria has been paused again, less than two weeks after it opened back up. 

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said quarantine-free travel from the state, which will go into lockdown tonight , will be paused from 1.59am (NZT) tomorrow. 

The pause will run for at least four days and will be reviewed further on Monday.

"As with previous pauses, we acknowledge the frustration and inconvenience that comes with any interruption to trans-Tasman travel, but given the ongoing level of uncertainty around transmission in Melbourne, this is the right action to take," Hipkins said.

"It is also in keeping with our consistently cautious approach to prevent Covid-19 entering the New Zealand community."

The announcement comes as Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the state would go into a snap five-day lockdown starting at 11.59pm tonight.

For Melbourne residents, this is their fifth time living under these restrictions.

Hipkins said the pause means anyone who has been in Victoria after 1.59am tomorrow cannot travel to New Zealand from any state in Australia until further notice.

The bubble had only just opened up 11 days ago on July 5, after it was closed when New Zealand cut off the bubble with the entirety of Australia on June 26. 

Quarantine-free travel with NSW has also been stopped, with a limited number of MIQ spaces currently available for a 14-day stay for people trying to get back to New Zealand. 

It comes as Victoria moves to control an outbreak linked to New South Wales, after what is thought to be 'stranger-to-stranger' transmission occurred at a stadium. 

Furniture movers from New South Wales were linked to a man who attended the MCG stadium to watch an AFL match on the weekend.

He later tested positive for Covid, with two others seated nearby also testing positive, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. 

There was also a chain of transmission when a man had contact with a family member who had returned from NSW. 

AAP reported those two new cases added to 10 community cases in the 24 hours to this morning. At the time, there was 75 locations of interest with 1500 primary and 5000 secondary close contacts isolating. 

Since it began on April 19, the trans-Tasman bubble has been partially or fully paused for 62 out of 87 days or about 71 per cent, 1 NEWS Australia correspondent Andrew Macfarlane says.

Previous pauses with Victoria:

Paused June 26 - Lifted July 5

Paused May 25 - Lifted June 22