Explained: Victoria’s updated roadmap out of lockdown as state hits 80, 90 per cent vaccine milestone
skynews– Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday unveiled Victoria’s updated roadmap out of lockdown, announcing there would be “very few rules” from when the state reaches its 90 per cent double dose vaccination coverage.
“We made a deal with the Victorian community – we asked them to get vaccinated and promised that when they did, we would open up and begin to live alongside the virus. Today we are delivering on that promise,” he said.
“Victorians have met this challenge beyond any of our expectations and these vaccination rates are an incredible achievement. We’re on our way to being one of the most vaccinated – and therefore one of the safest – places in the entire world.”
The state will reach its 80 per cent vaccine milestone ahead of schedule, on Friday October 29, as capacity limits on retail, hospitality, gyms and entertainment venues ease.
Once the state hits 90 per cent double dose vaccination, projected to be as early as November 24, density limits will be removed for all settings allowing events, including the Boxing Day Test, to be able to operate at full capacity.
RETURN TO NORMALITY
80 per cent – Friday October 29 at 6:00pm
- Travel from Melbourne to Regional Victoria permitted.
- Most indoor settings, including restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will open with no caps subject to a 1 per 4sqm limit if all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
- Most outdoor settings will remain at 1 per 2sqm limit up to 500, where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
- These 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.
- Entertainment venues will reopen. For indoor seated venues including cinemas and theatres, there will be a 75 per cent capacity or a 1 per 4sqm limit up to 1,000 people and for non-seated indoor entertainment venues there will be a 1 per 4sqm limit with no patron cap.
- Outdoor seated and non-seated entertainment venues including stadiums, zoos and tourist attractions will be open with a 1 per 2sqm limit up to 5,000 where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.
- Events – such as music festivals – will be able to host up to 5,000 attendees, subject to any restrictions related to the venue.
- Masks will remain mandatory indoors but are no longer required outdoors. It is highly recommended you continue to wear a mask outdoors where you cannot physically distance, such as busy streets or outdoor markets.
90 per cent – projected to be as early as Wednesday, November 24
- Caps or density limits will be removed for all settings.
- Masks will only be mandatory indoors in some high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care, public transport and justice and correctional facilities.
- There will be no restrictions for indoor and outdoor events provided they follow COVIDSafe rules including vaccination requirements.
- 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.
Victoria recorded 1,935 new COVID-19 cases and eleven deaths on Sunday, taking the total number of active infections to 24,993.
Across the state, more than 90 per cent have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 73.1 per cent are double jabbed.
