The "hard lockdown" – the most severe restriction imposed so far – will mean that all residents in the towers will be confined to their apartments and will be tested for the virus.
"There will be no one going in. And no one will be allowed out," Premier Daniel Andrews said.
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"This represents a challenge we've not yet encountered. This is not like an outbreak spread across multiple homes or multiple suburbs.
"The close confines and the shared community spaces within these large apartment blocks means this virus can spread like wildfire."
The increase of 108 cases is close to Victoria's highest-ever daily total, when 111 were recorded on March 28 and comes after the state recorded 66 new infections on Friday, 77 on Thursday and 73 on Wednesday.
Dr Annaliese van Diemen, Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer, said more cases were being linked to the public housing cluster.
"I expect it will be up to 30 by the end of the day," she said.
Some of Victoria's most vulnerable people live in the nine towers, and Housing Minister Richard Wynne said they would be offered mental health and drug and alcohol support. Food and care packages will also be delivered to residents.
"They [the towers] are characterised by having common lifts and common walkways. We believe they present an acute challenge going forward," Minister Wynne said.
Mr Andrews said he did not expect the entire state to have to return to lockdown, if residents followed social distancing guidelines and existing restrictions.
"We cannot do it on our own. We need people to take this seriously. We need people to do the right thing," he said.
"All it takes is one, one person doing the wrong thing, and this can potentially get away from you.
The concerns were raised by senior players in the hotel quarantine system, who spoke to The Age on the condition of anonymity as they did not have authorisation to speak publicly about the program and their employment could be jeopardised if their identities were revealed.
Two Kmart stores were closed on Saturday for deep cleaning after staff members tested positive for the virus.
A sign outside Kmart's Brunswick store at Barkly Square shopping centre thanked customers for their understanding and cooperation, while the Footscray store was also closed.
A spokesman said the two cases were unrelated.
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Ashleigh McMillan is a breaking news reporter at The Age. Got a story? Email me at a.mcmillan@theage.com.au
Liam is The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's science reporter
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2020-07-04 07:29:55Z
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