From midnight, all of Victoria will enter a hard lockdown in a bid to prevent community spread of a hotel outbreak of the highly infection UK strain.

Stay-at-home orders also apply to Victorians and travellers who have entered NSW on or since Friday January 29, with Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 4 was named as an exposure site.

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett told Jim Wilson while he doesn’t oppose the five-day ‘circuit-breaker’, he worries it will be extended beyond next Wednesday.

“Unlike your premier, who kept her state going and managing outbreaks better than we ever did, our response has always been to close the place down.

“The devastating effect of that will be felt for many, many years to come.”

Earlier this week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews claimed his state’s hotel quarantine system has “higher standards” than NSW, sparking widespread anger.

“The comments … have come back and bitten him on the bum very, very quickly indeed.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Nine News