New lockdown rules explained as Victoria hits 80 per cent target

Melbourne will hit its next major vaccine milestone this Friday, triggering a new wave of freedoms. Here’s what to expect.

These are the new rules for Melbourne as Victoria races towards the 80 per cent vaccination target — and what to expect when the state hits 90 per cent on November 24.

ALL THE RULES CHANGING AT 80 PER CENT ON 6PM ON FRIDAY, OCT 29

• Travel from Melbourne to regional Victoria will be allowed

• 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

• Most indoor settings, including restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will open with no caps subject to a one person per four square metres limit. All staff and patrons must be fully vaccinated

Getting your nails done in the street will be a thing of the past from Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

• Most outdoor settings will remain at one person per two square metres limit (up to 500 people), 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 up to 1000 people, and for non-seated indoor entertainment venues there will be a one person per four square metres limit with no patron cap

• Outdoor seated and non-seated entertainment venues including stadiums, zoos and tourism attractions will be open with a limit of 5000 people where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated

• Events – such as music festivals – will be able to host up to 5000 attendees

• The chief health officer may also grant an approval for larger crowds for significant events and venues

• Masks will remain mandatory indoors but no longer required outdoors.

• It is highly recommended people continue to wear a mask outdoors where they cannot physically distance

All the rules changing at 90 per cent – November 24

• No (capacity) caps anywhere and no density limits

• Masks only required in high risk indoor settings such as public transport, prisons, hospitals and aged care

• Double-dose vaccination proof required when attending venues, events

Read the latest on the new settings, and what happens when Victoria hits 90 per cent, in our rolling coverage of Covid here.