As expected, Victoria's acting premier James Merlino has announced a further easing of restrictions for residents of Victoria today. From Thursday night, those in metro Melbourne and those in regional areas will have similar rules in place. The change in rules follows Melbourne recording zero new local cases in the past 24 hours and only 50 active cases in the state.
Here is what will be allowed from 11.59pm on Thursday, June 24:
- Masks are still required indoors, except when in your own home;
- You can have up to 15 visitors in your home per day;
- Outdoor public gatherings can be for groups of up to 50 people;
- Funerals and weddings will be capped at 300 people;
- More people in metro Melbourne can return to offices, with 75 per cent capacity (or 30 people in a workplace, whichever is greater);
- Capacity limits for hospitality venues have been increased to 300 people, but density limits still apply;
- Live music venues can increase capacity, however, dancefloors are still closed for now;
- Theatres will initially open at 50 per cent capacity (with up to 1,000 people) but subject to public health advice, from July 1, this should increase further to 100 per cent capacity;
- The same goes for crowds at public events and outdoor stadiums including the MCG, which will have a limit of 50 per cent (up to 25,000 people) initially; and
- It is recommended that metro Melburnians get tested prior to departing to go to the alpine region, especially if they are staying overnight.
For further clarification, check the Victorian government website, which should be updated soon.
These new settings are expected to be in place for two weeks.
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