Updated April 12, 2020 14:33:11

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced the state of emergency in Victoria will be extended for another four weeks as the number of new coronavirus cases continues to decline.

During a press conference this morning, Mr Andrews said there had been another three cases of coronavirus confirmed overnight, bringing Victoria's total to 1,268.

It is the fewest number of new cases in the state since early March.

The death toll remains at 14 with 28 people in hospital and 16 of those in intensive care.

The Premier also unveiled a $60 million package to support mental health services.

'Unprecedented powers' extended until at least May 11

Mr Andrews said the state of emergency was now due to expire at midnight on May 11. It had been due to expire on April 13.

The state of emergency gives authorised officers, such as the police, the power to enforce the directions of the Chief Health Officer, including detaining and restricting people's movement.

The extension will allow the Government to continue its strict enforcement of social distancing, isolation and other directions put in place by the Chief Health Officer to slow the spread of coronavirus.

"This is unprecedented but these powers are passed by our Parliament, they are a law of our state and are designed to deal with challenges just like those that we face," Mr Andrews said.

He said the low number of new coronavirus cases showed the state's strategy was working.

"That is a very strong piece of evidence that our strategy is working, that we are aggressively tracing outbreaks," he said.

"We are making sure that this virus doesn't get away from us, because if it does, then our health system will simply be overrun and people will die."

Mr Andrews said there was no comparison between the passengers arriving this morning from the coronavirus-stricken Antarctic cruise ship Greg Mortimer and the Ruby Princess debacle.

There have now been 16 deaths directly related to the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

Photo: Passengers from the Greg Mortimer cruise ship were screened and quarantined after landing at Melbourne Airport on a flight from Uruguay this morning. (AAP: James Ross)

He said the people from the Greg Mortimer were not being allowed out into the community like the passengers of the Ruby Princess were.

"We brought the hotel quarantine policy in and this just proves why that's such an important thing to do," he said.

Earlier, the Department of Health revealed that a man had died yesterday while in "quarantine accommodation" and that police were not treating the death as suspicious.

Mr Andrews said he was confident that the staff supporting those in quarantine understood they had to do everything they could to look after the people in their care.

"We send our best wishes to the family involved but it's for the coroner to determine exactly what's gone on here, but I'm confident with the arrangements that are in place," he said.

Big spend on mental health

Mr Andrews said the first phase of the $60 million mental health package would include 170 extra youth and adult acute mental health beds at a cost of $17.8 million.

Nearly $7 million will go towards helping mental health services deliver phone and video support for people with severe mental illness.

Another $6.7 million will expand online and phone counselling services through BeyondBlue, Lifeline, Kids Helpline and Suicide Line Victoria. It will also go towards the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council and Tandem helplines, which are also experiencing a large increase in calls.

Money will also be spent on fast tracking Orygen Youth Health's new eOrygen platform, phones and extra data for high-risk mental health clients, case management for victims of significant trauma, youth engagement programs, digital resources for parents, expansion of telephone support services and support services for frontline mental health workers among other initiatives.

"We know that a quarter of calls to Lifeline over these last few weeks have been related to the coronavirus," Mr Andrews said.

"Many people are coming forward to get mental healthcare and support who have never done so in the past, so there is significant pressure on all of our mental health service system.

"This package will mean we have the beds, we have the counselling and support services, we have what is needed to provide care to those who are experiencing mental illness in all its different forms."

Fines issued for having parties and playing sport

Victoria Police said in a statement this morning that officers had issued another 92 infringements for breaches of coronavirus restrictions.

Examples of breaches identified over the 24 hours to 11:00pm yesterday included:

• Nine people found gathered at a rented short-stay apartment in Southbank
• Multiple instances of private gatherings at residential properties
• Nine people gathered at a Wyndham Vale local reserve to play rugby
• Seven people playing soccer at a local Mill Park oval.

Officers conducted 550 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state as part of Operation Sentinel during the period.

Since March 21, Victoria Police has conducted a total of 19,303 spot checks.

Cheers as passengers from stricken Antarctic cruise arrive in Melbourne

Earlier, there were claps and cheers when a plane carrying passengers who had been stranded on a cruise ship near Uruguay for more than two weeks touched down in Melbourne just before 7:00am today.

The passengers comprised more than 100 Australians and New Zealanders, whose Antarctic trip of a lifetime on the Greg Mortimer cruise ship was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They will be among about 1,200 Australians arriving into Melbourne this weekend with flights also coming from Peru and India.

Photo: The flight carrying Australian and New Zealander passengers from the Greg Mortimer flew direct from Montevideo to Melbourne. (ABC News)

Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen yesterday said up to 70 per cent of the passengers on the Greg Mortimer had become infected with coronavirus, some of whom would be on the flight to Melbourne.

Dr Van Diemen said while the passengers had been certified as "fit to fly" before boarding the flight, authorities were ready if passengers' conditions deteriorated during the flight.

Upon arrival, every passenger will be assessed to determine whether they require testing or hospitalisation.

Passengers who are well will be taken to a hotel to undergo their mandatory 14-day quarantine as returned international travellers.

Some New Zealanders will be allowed to take a charter flight home.

Another 440 Australians that were stranded in India during a nationwide lockdown have started their journey home and are due back this afternoon after boarding a private charter flight from Delhi.

The flight to Melbourne was organised by expats and aviation experts with help from the High Commission after more than 1,300 Australians called on the Australian Government to help them.

More private charter flights are expected from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Traveller turns marathon isolation stint into literal half-marathon

Photo: Hundreds of travellers who have been isolating at the Crown hotel are being allowed out today. (ABC News: Ron Ekkel)

The flights are arriving just as hundreds of travellers quarantined in Melbourne's Crown Casino are being allowed to taste freedom today after spending their 14 days in isolation.

The international arrivals are being released after returning to Australia from overseas two weeks ago.

Australian entrepreneur Ben Michowski, who came back to Melbourne after living in the United States, said he had embarked on an unusual challenge to pass the time while cooped up in his hotel room.

"I decided to do a half-marathon in the room," Mr Michowski said. "So that was cool.

"I moved the couch a little bit, so that gave me an extra metre or two. So probably I had 10 to 12 metres up and down, so it took me a long time.

"It does feel like something I've never felt before, walking outside, after not being outside for two weeks, probably something I've never done.

"It is a little bit weird, definitely, the feeling."

Christian churches invited Victorians who would normally attend Mass to mark Easter Sunday, one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar, with online streaming services.

"Wherever you are, thank you for joining us in this time of prayer and worship," the St Paul's Cathedral Facebook page said, as it posted a livestream of a physically-distanced Anglican Easter service filmed by the church's leaders in the CBD.

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First posted April 12, 2020 09:25:12