All the new rules as Victoria, South Australia lockdowns lifted

At least 8.5m Australians have been freed from lockdown as Covid-19 cases in multiple states fall. Find out all the new rules.

At least 8.5m Australians were freed from lockdown on Wednesday morning as several states continue to fight off Delta outbreaks.

Victoria, South Australia and parts of Central West NSW have all been released from tough lockdown measures as Covid-19 cases fall.

The lockdowns were a result of incursions from Sydney’s deadly Delta outbreak, which recorded 172 new cases on Tuesday, its highest number for this outbreak, as the city prepares for a four-week lockdown extension.

VICTORIA

In Victoria, the five reasons to leave the home no longer apply and the 5km travel limit has been abolished.

Cafes can reopen for seated service in Victoria and South Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Among the other new rules announced by Premier Daniel Andrews which will apply for at least the next two weeks were:

• No visitors allowed into private homes;
• Holiday accommodation can only be booked with others from the same household, an intimate partner or single bubble person;
• Masks are still required everywhere indoors and outdoors, except private residences;
• Holiday-makers travelling to alpine resorts are required to return a negative Covid test within 72 hours of visiting the ski fields;
• Restaurants and cafes can reopen for seated service;
• Retail, beauty and personal care businesses can reopen in line with density limits of one person per 4sq m, along with entertainment venues and community facilities;
• Victorians must work from home if they can, but offices can host 25 per cent of their workforce, or up to 10 people, whatever is greater.
• Schools have reopened for onsite learning;
• Public gatherings are allowed for groups of up to 10 people, with infants under 12 months not included in the cap;
• Live music venues, dance classes and physical recreation facilities, including gyms, can open with density requirements of one person per 4sq m;
• A maximum of 50 guests and mourners are permitted at weddings and funerals.

People exercise around the Tan in Melbourne during lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

In South Australia, the stay-at-home restrictions have been eased but those who have been directed to self-quarantine are not released and must still complete their full 14 days of isolation.

The density requirement of one person per 4sq m now applies at indoor and outdoor places, while at indoor fitness facilities it is one person per 8sq m.

Among the other new rules that came into force at 12.01am on Wednesday were:

• Gatherings and functions at a private place are restricted to 10 people, including children and infants;
• Only 10 people are allowed at private residences, unless more people live at the home;
• A maximum of 50 guests and mourners are permitted at weddings and funerals;
• Dancing is not permitted unless by the bridal party at a wedding or at a fitness dance studio where alcohol is not served;
• Singing, including karaoke, is not permitted in enclosed, non-residential premises unless for the purposes of education;
• Shisha or hookah is not permitted;
• Personal care services, including services at hairdressers, barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons and tattoo parlours, wellness centres, day spas and massage parlours, saunas and bathhouses, are permitted but everyone must wear a mask;
• Public entertainment, including concerts, live theatre or other live performance, cinema, galleries, museums, publicly accessible historic sites, zoos and other wildlife animal parks, or any other place of entertainment that is open to members of the public, is permitted but masks must be worn indoors and density provisions must be followed;
• Covid management plan events, those with attendances of more than 1000 people, are permitted but outdoors only and the plan must be approved before the event takes place;
• Retail services are permitted to open but must follow density restrictions and people must wear a mask when indoors and must sign in with a QR code;
• Casinos and gaming rooms are permitted to open but subject to density, mask-wearing and physical distancing restrictions;
• Indoor fitness, such as gymnasiums, health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, dance and pilates studios and swimming pools, are restricted to one person per 8sq m;
• Outdoor fitness is restricted to one person per 4sq m;
• No team, club and competition sports are allowed, except training or as part of a school curriculum;
• Food or beverages served at venues, including pubs, cafes, clubs, restaurants, wineries, can only be consumed while seated, both indoors and outdoors, while communal food and beverages are not permitted;
• Masks must be worn on public transport and in shared indoor public places excluding indoor exercise, personal care services, health care and high risk settings.

CENTRAL WEST NSW

The local government areas of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne were freed from stay-at-home orders at 12.01am on Wednesday, with the regions returning to the same restrictions as the rest of regional NSW.

Those restrictions are:

• Premises are restricted to 25 people or one person per 4sq m, whatever is greater;
• A limit of five visitors at private homes;
• A 20-person limit applies to classes or activities at a gym, dance studio or yoga class;
• Singing by audiences at indoor shows or by congregants at indoor places of worship is not allowed;
• Dancing is not allowed at a hospitality venue or nightclub;
• For weddings, dancing is allowed for the bridal party only up to 20 people;
• People must be seated when consuming alcohol in an indoor area of non-residential premises, including restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, as well as outdoor gatherings or stadiums;
• Funerals and memorial services are permitted with density limits of one person per 4sq m;
• Theatres, cinemas, music and concert halls restricted to the greater of 50 per cent of seating capacity or one person per 4sq m.