POLICE will be out in force ahead of the AFL Grand Final and cup day weekends in an effort to banish Melbourne residents from regional areas and keep the regions’ current 0.4 rolling COVID-19 case average down.

The Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues has been locked in as a virtual online event, and the turf club’s cup day event will not go ahead in front of crowds under current restriction levels.

To reach the Final Step in Melbourne and regional Victoria the whole state has to have zero cases for 14 days, and it’s 28 days free to reach COVID Normal, however, Melbourne’s rolling average was still 10 yesterday.