Metres away from their hard lock down, Melbourne tower residents stuck in high-rise units can see neighbours across the road enjoying take away coffees.
The North Melbourne block of public housing units are shut off, surrounded by police wearing face masks and high-vis vests.
Those five buildings are among nine Melbourne public housing towers now in their third day of full confinement, after more than 50 coronavirus cases in two days.
A delivery driver was turned away from the towers at 76 Canning Street around 10.30am without handing over the brown bag she was carrying.
At the same time, a young couple unaffected by the strict measures walked across the road to Woolworths, enjoying their hot drink.
They had just visited a cafe in adjacent Melrose Street, where life is far less restricted than that at the tower buildings.
The liquor store, a laundry and a cigarette store are among the shops opened a few metres from the entrance to Pampas Street, where two policemen block access to the community housing.
Orange-vested cleaners walked down Melrose Street while a little girl skipped with a rope in her front yard, until an adult asked her to come inside.
Further up the road before the left turn to Sutton street, food is packed in a car at a St Vincent De Paul's charity soup kitchen to be delivered to community housing in other suburbs.
Two officers posted at the doors of 12 Sutton Street talked to a woman inside the building before she went back inside.
The same scene occurs at 159 Melrose Street, although this time, the woman talking to the officers is outside and needs to wait for approval to access the building.
AAP is then invited to stand by a police control check set at Boundary Road.
An alcohol and drug testing bus is parked there, as more than 30 officers stand next to it at an improvised set up camp, wearing masks and gloves.
The woman speaking to police at Melrose St walked to the police bus about 20 minutes after her first conversation with officers, saying she works for the Salvation Army and is still trying to secure building access.
It's unclear how much longer residents in the towers will be detained, with talk their lockdown could last anything from five days to a fortnight.
Meanwhile, they watch from their windows as life across the street proceeds as normal.
Australian Associated Press
