Sport, public gatherings, home visitors could be a week away says premier Daniel Andrews
No new coronavirus cases were recorded in the G21 region on Thursday. If the trend continues here and the rest of regional Victoria, we could only be a week away from not having any limits on leaving home. This is what else would change.
Geelong
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REGIONAL Victorians, including those in Geelong, the Surf Coast and Colac, could be a week away from not having any limits on leaving home, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
It leaves the potential for regional Victoria to be open for business again in time for the looming term 3 school holidays, which are set to begin on September 19.
Restrictions around public gatherings, singles, playgrounds, public pools and religious services are due to ease on September 14. But regional Victoria is charging towards the target for a further stage of reductions, although it’s not there yet.
The further easing of restrictions, subject to a case target being met, will include “no restrictions on reasons to leave home”; public gatherings of up to 10 people outdoors; five visitors to homes from one household, hospitality reopening to outside eating, all sport starting for under 18s and only outdoor non-contact sport for adults.
That step will be triggered by the 14-day COVID-19 regional case average remaining below 5 for two weeks, and no new mystery cases – those with no known source of transmission – for 14 days.
On Thursday the regional 14-day COVID-19 case average was at 4.5, and no new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in regional Victoria.
But in a hurdle for easing restrictions there remains eight mystery cases in regional Victoria.
All schools are due to return to onsite learning for all students in term 4 on October 5.
“If the trend continues, and the numbers are very promising, we’ll be able to take a step, or steps, as early as toward the end of next week,” Premier Daniel Andrews said about the case average.
“And that then avoids having to divide the state up into regions, have police enforce all of those boundaries.”
Mr Andrews said Geelong was on close watch.
“We were carefully watching the numbers there, as we have been for a long time. Those numbers are stable.
“Those numbers are, at this stage, not holding regional Victoria back from moving as one set of the rules.”
Active cases have dropped to 11 in Greater Geelong. A week ago active cases in Greater Geelong were at 40. Active cases in Colac Otway Shire reduced by one to 29 on Thursday, while Surf Coast continues to have just the one active case. Golden Plains and the Borough of Queenscliff remain free of any active cases.
Across the state there were 51 new cases of coronavirus and seven deaths announced on Thursday, bringing the state’s death toll to 701.
Of the seven deaths, there were four men in their 70s, two women in their 80s and one man in his 80s.
Originally published as Sport, public gatherings, home visitors could be a week away says premier Daniel Andrews