Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state's daily coronavirus cases remain too high for him to release a road map out of lockdown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Victoria recorded 114 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Sunday, bringing the state's toll from the virus to 524 and the national figure to 611.
Of the fatalities, 382 are linked to aged care.
It comes after the state saw 94 new infections on Saturday - the first time daily case numbers have fallen below 100 since July 5.
While the premier said the downward trend was promising, it was still too early to announce how restrictions will ease come September 13.
Metropolitan Melbourne is subject to another fortnight of strict stage four restrictions including an 8pm to 5am curfew and a ban on travelling beyond a five-kilometre radius of home.
Regional Victoria is under slightly less strict stage three restrictions.
"We are seeing a fall across each of the key metrics and the strategy is working and that is a credit to every Victorian who has made a powerful contribution to that end," Mr Andrews told reporters on Sunday.
"But we just have to stay the course on this."
The premier said new cases numbers would "explode" if restrictions were eased now.
"Once we see these numbers fall further, once we have certainty - and that will be quite soon - we will be able to talk in more definitive terms about what the weeks and months ahead look like," Mr Andrews said.
The state's next set of restrictions will be guided by "science and data and evidence" and will likely be in place for "many months", he added.
With lower case numbers, it will also be possible to take a more "localised and isolated approach" to stemming coronavirus outbreaks.
"There will be the odd outbreak and the odd case but if you get it down to really low levels, then you can have confidence that you can pounce on those, you can contain those and we don't then have to go back to shutdowns, back to rules that impact everybody," Mr Andrews said.
An announcement will be made on Monday regarding how the government will work with the business sector on its plans to open up.
Meanwhile, it looks likely the government has the support of enough crossbench MPs in the upper house to extend the current state of emergency beyond September 13.
Key crossbencher Fiona Patten said on Saturday she could get support for a sixth-month extension of the state of emergency - rather than a year as originally proposed
Under the Reason Party proposal, the government will be able to write and pass COVID-19-specific laws until March but would have to brief minor parties and independents once a month to justify the continuation of the state of emergency.
"This is a fair arrangement that I believe could gain the support of several of my colleagues and pass the parliament - only by a small margin though," Ms Patten said.
Mr Andrews said discussions with the crossbench were still ongoing.
A separate state of disaster order is also set to be extended when it expires this week, allowing the curfew and five-kilometre rule to continue.
The power to extend the order lays with Police Minister Lisa Neville rather than the parliament.
Nine of Victoria's 11 deaths are linked to outbreaks at aged care facilities.
The deaths include one man aged in his 70s, five women and one man in their 80s and three women and one man in their 90s.
Victoria's 2830 active cases include 406 healthcare workers and 1277 in aged care.
There are 472 people in hospital with coronavirus, including 25 in intensive care.
Australian Associated Press
