KEY DATES IN VICTORIA'S CORONAVIRUS CRISIS:
* Jan 19 - A man who arrives in Melbourne from Guanghzhou is Australia's first confirmed coronavirus case
* March 14 - 13 new cases, Victoria's first day of a double-digit increase
* March 16 - Victoria declares state of emergency as public gatherings of more than 500 effectively banned across Australia
* March 26 - First coronavirus deaths in Victoria, with three in 24 hours
* March 27 - National cabinet announces returned overseas travellers must complete 14 days of hotel quarantine. Victoria decides to use private security guards in its program
* March 28 - Peak of Victoria's first wave, with 111 new cases
* May 31 - Victoria's state of emergency extended for three weeks ahead of stage-three restrictions easing the next day. Four new cases, 74 active cases
* June 6 - No new cases for the first time since March 5. A Black Lives Matter rally draws thousands of protesters to the Melbourne CBD
* June 14 - Further easing of restrictions announced for June 21
* June 17 - While discussing border restrictions with South Australia, Premier Daniel Andrew sparks a cross-border spat by asking "Why would you want to go there?". The comment comes after confirmation of 21 new coronavirus cases - Victoria's highest increase in more than a month.
* June 25 - Cases continue to rise, a testing blitz is announced and the defence force called in, but the number of personnel becomes a point of confusion.
* June 26 - Concerns grow about Melbourne's hotel quarantine program for returning international travellers. It's revealed 30 per cent of them are refusing tests.
* June 29 - Hot spot suburbs in Melbourne's north and northwest return to lockdown and all international flights into the city are put on hold
* July 2 - Justice Jennifer Coate will head an inquiry into Victoria's disastrous hotel quarantine program
* July 4 - A full lockdown is announced at short notice for nine Melbourne public housing towers, described as "vertical cruise ships", as Victoria records 108 new cases - its first day above 100 since late March
* July 6 - The Victoria-NSW border shuts for the first time in a century
* July 7 - A record 191 cases prompts Melbourne and Mitchell Shire to again be placed into stage-three lockdowns on July 8
* July 20 - Hotel quarantine inquiry begins
* August 2 - Victoria records 671 cases and seven deaths. State of disaster declared, stage four restrictions imposed
* Aug 5 - Peak of 725 new cases
* Aug 11 - Peak of 7880 active Victorian cases
* Sept 6 - Stage four restrictions extended until October
* Sept 25 - Mr Andrews appears before the inquiry, apologises to Victorians
* Sept 26 - Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigns
* Sept 27 - Melbourne's lockdown curfew ends, several other restrictions eased
* Sept 28 - Inquiry's closing submissions. Lawyers say the program is responsible for more than 18,000 COVID-19 infections and 750 deaths
* Oct 1- Victorian death toll reaches 800
* Oct 5 - Victorian school students start returning to the classroom
* Oct 12 - Top Victorian government bureaucrat Chris Eccles resigns
* Oct 26 - First clean slate of no new cases, no deaths since June 9. Mr Andrews is emotional as he announces the end of Melbourne's lockdown, with hospitality venues and retail reopening
* Oct 28 - Most recent two deaths in Victoria
* Oct 30 - Most recent four new cases in Victoria
* Nov 6 - Inquiry's interim report released. It recommends Victoria operate a hotel quarantine program and an at-home program for returned travellers. It also reveals the program has cost the state $195 million
* Nov 9 - Melbourne's "ring of steel" and the 25km travel limit end
* Nov 12 - DHHS Secretary Kym Peake steps down
* Nov 13 - SA to reopen Victorian border on Dec 1
* Nov 23 - NSW reopens Victorian border, further easing of restrictions, including masks no longer mandatory outdoors
* Nov 24 - No active cases in Victoria for the first time since Feb 29
Australian Associated Press
