Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the move on Saturday morning, with the changes to take effect about two hours after they were announced.

The restrictions apply across regional Victoria from 1pm Saturday until 11.59pm, September 2.

There are 77 new cases, 16 were found using PCR rapid tests, which will be recorded as part of Sunday's figures. Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed these 16 were all from the Shepparton area.

Of the 61 local cases, 22 were in isolation for the duration of their infectious period.

Premier Andrews said regional Victoria would follow the same restrictions as Melbourne, with the exception of the 9pm to 5am curfew in metro Melbourne.

As of 1pm there are only five reasons to leave home:

He acknowledged regional Victoria was only given a few hours notice of "some really significant changes" but government had to act quickly because "this virus moves so fast".

Premier Andrews said none of us had "the luxury of ignoring the science or ignoring the evidence and the recommendations of our public health team".

"We therefore shouldn't be having any of these debates about whether the whole of country Victoria is at risk," Premier Andrews said. "The judgement of our public health experts is that it should be statewide and on that basis, that lockdown - those five reasons to leave will apply to all of regional Victoria, just as it does apply to all of Melbourne."

In a bid to limit the virus spread into workplaces, workforce permits will be required to leave the house for authorised work from 11.59pm Monday August 23.

In other changes announced, high-risk industries will no longer be able to operate at 100 per cent and operations will have to be reduced in some sectors. He said state-wide, construction would be reduced to 25 per cent.

He said industry settings such as abattoirs, meat processing centres, large supermarket distribution centres and cool stores would revert to the same rules as last year, with the "new arrangements to limit movement and to limit the risk of widespread infection".

He said business support package announcements would be made as early as tomorrow or Monday, which could also include events, such as weddings planned for Saturday cancelled at short notice.

Premier Andrews said if Victoria didn't act on the Chief Health Officer's advice, it could mean hundreds or thousands of cases next week or next month.

"I absolutely regret that is the decision we have to make, but that is the advice we have received and none of us have the luxury of ignoring the science or ignoring the evidence and the recommendations of our public health team."

Childcare centres in regional Victoria will close and only be available to essential workers and vulnerable children. A permit system will apply to those seeking care.

Grandparents caring under existing care arrangements, prior to Saturday, are permitted to continue care giving. He said the same rules that applied during last year's lockdown would apply.

Premier Andrews said the number of young people becoming infected was greater this year and transmissions were now occurring in and around childcare centres.

He acknowledged it would be hard for families to care for their children while working from home but that "no parent wants their child to get this" and "we have to do everything to protect them".

Primary school-aged children, under 12, are also advised to wear masks as part of the changes, and Premier Andrews said some children would be able to it, while for others it would be more difficult.

Playgrounds, basketball hoops, skate parks and outdoor exercise equipment will be closed.

Exercise will be limited to just one other person, plus dependents who can't be left at home.

Mr Andrews said the public health team had advised lockdown was necessary, given the Shepparton outbreak, and the fact at least one person had travelled to Bendigo.

Victoria's COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said the virus was "popping up in just about every (Melbourne) suburb, and just about every LGA".

Mr Weimar urged Victorians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 saying it was the best prevention against further outbreaks.

"We are seeing too many people waiting too long to get tested. We need to see people getting tested at the beginning of their infectious period," he said.

Premier Andrews and Victoria Police appealed to people to do the right thing, despite the weekend's fine weather.

"It's not a green light to be partying or enjoying yourself," Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton said.

He said police would "do what we need to do" and those involved in public or private gatherings would face individual fines of $5452.