Regional Victorians (except those in greater Shepparton) will be exiting from lockdown this week following a low number of cases outside of metro Melbourne. From 11.59pm on Thursday, September 9, the five reasons to leave your home will be scrapped with new freedoms allowed across the state.
Those include:
- There will be no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home (other than restrictions on entry to metropolitan Melbourne);
- Most businesses and venues can reopen with capacity and density limits;
- Restaurants and cafés can reopen for seated service with patron caps;
- Retail, hairdressing, entertainment and community facilities will also open;
- Regional schools can reopen for onsite learning for prep to grade 2 and year 12 students who live in regional Victoria, while remote learning will continue for all other levels;
- Masks will still be necessary indoor and outdoors, apart from your private residence or an exemption applies.
Regional Victorians will still not be able to have people over to their homes, though they can gather outdoors. The premier has said that these arrangements will be in place until at least the end of September.
Those living in metropolitan Melbourne (check here if that includes you) and those in greater Shepparton are still in hard lockdown with only five reasons to leave their homes: to get the food and supplies you need; to exercise for up to two hours per day; to receive care or for caregiving purposes; for authorised work or education; and to get vaccinated.
If you have any symptoms, please get tested immediately. Want to get vaccinated? Here’s where to book your shot. For more details on the rules, head to the government website.