Mr Andrews said he would clarify reports that Chadstone shopping centre was not publicly declared a high-risk exposure site until eight days after the manager of The Butcher Club outlet tested positive for the virus.

When asked why every Chadstone shopper had not been advised to get tested,Mr Andrews said:"The more we know and understand about this outbreak,public facilities in that transmission area has been where transmission has occurred. That's my latest advice."

He said he believed the Chadstone outbreak,which has so far infected 33 people,had been handled well.

Impossible for Melbourne to meet October 19 targets

Unfortunately,Melbourne has overshot both of its original step-three reopening targets.

Monday's increase of 15 new cases means that it is now mathematically impossible for the 14-day average to be below five on October 19.

Monday also marked the first time in about two months that the state's 14-day rolling case average increased – it rose to 10.3,up from 9.6 on Sunday. More new cases were confirmed on Monday (15),than there were two weeks ago (five).

For the fortnightly average to be below five,no more than 70 cases in total could be recorded in the two weeks between October 5 and October 18. Melbourne is now seven days into that reference period,and 80 cases in total have been confirmed statewide,exceeding the limit by 10.

Retail reopening unlikely this weekend

Mr Andrews reiterated that restrictions set to ease on Sunday will likely relate to social activities rather than businesses.

"I think it's unlikely this weekend there will be a big shift in terms of retail,"he said.

"There are risks,not so much with the setting,the risk relates to movement.

"We've had Bunnings put pretty clear views to us,our stores are safe,we haven't had any outbreaks,and that's largely true.[But] the notion that no positive person has moved through one of their stores,or any other retail store,is probably unlikely. I think they almost certainly have."

Lockdowns should not be first resort,says WHO adviser

A special adviser to the director-general of the World Health Organisation has said governments should not rely on strict lockdowns to control the spread of COVID-19.

Dr David Nabarro said lockdowns should be used to give governments and health systems time to organise and prepare for a pandemic,but should not be the default mechanism to slow the virus.

"The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganise,regroup,rebalance your resources,protect your health workers who are exhausted – but by and large,we'd rather not do it,"he said in an interview with conservative British magazineThe Spectator.

"And so we really do appeal to all world leaders:stop using lockdown as your primary control method. Develop better systems for doing it. Work together and learn from each other."

Noble Park schools closes due to COVID case

A school in Melbourne's south-east was closed on Monday after a student tested positive to COVID-19.

Students at Nazareth College in Noble Park missed out on the return to face-to-face learning on Monday,after the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed a student had tested positive on Sunday night.

In a letter to parents,college principal Sam Cosentino said the school would be closed for an unknown period of time.

"Contact tracing in schools can take a couple of days and we will give up an update when it has been completed,"he said.

Mr Cosentino advised students who attended on-site last week to remain at home while contact tracing is done."They must limit movements to home-based activities and not attend public places,"he wrote.

New face mask rules came into effect on Monday.

All Victorians are now required to wear a fitted face mask that covers their nose and mouth when they leave home,no matter where they live.

Scarves,bandanas,plastic face shields,loose neck warmers and snoods are no longer permitted.