Victoria is expected to reach its vaccination targets early, resulting in a further easing of restrictions, starting Friday.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday that, after 20 months of restrictions, life in Victoria will return to ‘normal’ on November 24.
From 6pm Friday, travel restrictions between regional and metropolitan Victoria will lift for the first time in months, ahead of the Cup Day weekend.
Metropolitan and regional areas will also unite under the same restrictions.
Changes to the roadmap are based on Victoria reaching its 80 per cent double dose vaccination milestone for the population aged 16 and over, estimated almost a week ahead of schedule, on Friday.
When the state reaches the 90 per cent double dose milestone for the population aged 12 and over – predicted to be November 24 – a significant easing of all major restrictions will occur.
Other restrictions to change on Friday include masks no longer required outdoors, but remain mandatory indoors; restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will also be able to open with no caps subject to a density limit of one person per four square metres, if all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
People may also return to their place of work if fully vaccinated, though masks must be worn indoors. Children in all year levels will return to school on Monday November 1.
Most outdoor settings will remain at one person per two square metres up to 500, where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
Indoor and outdoor settings will also apply to weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if all attendees are fully vaccinated. Caps of 30 people will apply for weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if vaccination status is unknown.
Indoor entertainment venues and cinemas will also be able to reopen at 75 per cent capacity for seated events only.
Outdoor seated and non-seated entertainment venues including stadiums, zoos and tourism attractions will be open with a density limit and up to 5000 where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
Larger events – such as music festivals – will be able to host up to 5,000 attendees, subject to any restrictions related to the venue.
With high vaccination rates between the ages of 12 and 15, the next milestone will be 90 per cent double doses of the Victoria population aged 12 and up.
At that point, predicted for November 24, all restrictions on density limits and caps will lift, meaning venues can operate at their full capacity to vaccinated patrons, and there will be no limit to the number of visitors permitted in the home.
Masks will only be mandatory indoors in some high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care, public transport and justice and correctional facilities. Masks will not be required in any other setting.
Events with significant numbers of children may not be able to operate at full capacity while vaccines remain unavailable for children. There will be some caps for religious ceremonies, weddings and funerals where vaccination status is unknown.
From Monday, full-vaccinated Australians will be permitted to arrive in Victoria from interstate and overseas without having to complete any home or hotel quarantine.
Victoria recorded 1461 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with more than 24,000 cases now active statewide. The City of Whittlesea recorded 106 new cases yesterday, while Mitchell Shire recorded 13 and Macedon Ranges Shire recorded 12.
