Covid 19 coronavirus: Photos show Melbourne still struggling with lockdown rules

Shoppers defying social distancing restrictions have proven officials' fears that Melburnians have lockdown fatigue. Photo / Getty Images

Images of hundreds of weekend shoppers defying social distancing restrictions have proven officials' fears that Melburnians have lockdown fatigue.

Retailers in the capital's northern suburbs told 9 News it's becoming near impossible to control customers who don't understand health advice or are choosing not to listen.

Melbourne has entered the halfway mark of its stage four lockdown – one of the harshest in the world – and it's paying off. Chief health officer Brett Sutton says they're on track to have case numbers below 150 by next week.

But both Professor Sutton and Premier Daniel Andrews begged residents yesterday to "stay the course", as visits to parks and the number of people travelling on public transport again surge.

"I just say to people, we can't just stop. We can't give up. We've got to keep going," Andrews told reporters yesterday, acknowledging the restrictions had been "painful".

"The only thing that wins, if we let our fatigue get the better of us, is this virus. It'll spread more rapidly. It'll take more lives. It'll mean opening up is further away than it's ever been."