Victoria to reopen at coming Friday

It’s been a gruelling 20 months for many Victorians who have gone in and out of lockdown, but on Friday the state is set to welcome a raft of new freedoms — and will potentially say goodbye to some COVID-19 restrictions once and for all.

As the state reaches its 80 per cent double-dose vaccination milestone, regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne will follow the same rules, while gyms, retailers and entertainment venues will reopen to the fully vaccinated.

From 6pm 29 October 2021 at 80% fully vaccinated, regional Victoria and Metro Melbourne come together under the same rules. Find more information below or in more resources:

Social & Recreational:

10 people including dependents can visit your home per day

Up to 30 people including dependants can gather in public outside.

Indoor community sport open for minimum number required.

Masks are only required inside.

Pubs, restaurants and cafes can open for seated service to fully vaccinated people indoors and non-seated service to up to 500 fully vaccinated people outdoors – with density limits.

Work:

Work from home if you can, but you can go to work if fully vaccinated.

Hairdressing, beauty, personal care:

Open for fully vaccinated people.

Retail:

All retail open.

Education:

Early childhood education and care is open.

All students return to school with additional safety measures in-place.

On-site adult education returns for fully vaccinated Victorians.

Religious Ceremonies:

Weddings, funerals, and religious services return for fully vaccinated people indoors and 500 outdoors – with density limits

Health experts urge ‘balance’

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said Victorians deserved to be enthusiastic and were reaping the benefits of high vaccination rates. But, Omar Khorshid, AMA’s president, said Victorians needed to expect things might be rolled back if cases surge.

“We do need to balance [our enthusiasm] with remembering, you’ve still got a couple of 1000 cases every day,” Dr Khorshid said. “We do need to wait and see whether those numbers do explode as people start to move through the community more.”

The Victorian branch of the AMA earlier called for COVID-19 restrictions to remain unchanged until two weeks after 80 per cent of people aged over 12 years were fully vaccinated.

Dr Khorshid was optimistic about Victoria’s plans, saying that the state was not “fully opening at 80 per cent” but rather allowing more freedoms to people who were vaccinated, a strategy AMA was “100 per cent behind”.

Nevertheless, with Victoria seeing more COVID cases than New South Wales did when its restrictions were similarly eased, Dr Khorshid urged caution.

Opposition says more needs to be done for small businesses

Victoria’s opposition has welcomed plans for the state to further ease restrictions on Friday but urged the government to allow small businesses to open immediately. Opposition leader Matthew Guy said a week was too long for gyms, retails and other small businesses to wait before opening up.

Mr Guy also said that Victoria should bring forward its plans to remove caps and density limits at its 90 per cent vaccination target and instead open up at this level on Friday. “We must have what the government is applying at 90 per cent, applied at 80 per cent in one week,” Mr Guy said.

Victoria’s opposition has also proposed the government create a $10 million fund to pay for first drinks as customers return to pubs, clubs and hospitality venues around the state as it opens up.

Gaps expected until migrant workers allowed

Paul Guerra, from the Victorian Chamber of Commerce, said he was delighted with the Premier’s announcement to reopen retail and other businesses on Friday. He said it would be a “champagne day” for businesses across the state in what he saw as a “business-led recovery” for Victoria. But he said he was worried about staffing shortages in the coming months, and highlighted the need for international students to return to Victoria to help fill the gaps.