Coronavirus restrictions in Victoria: State announces freedom for Melbourne

Melburnians will see further freedom from lockdown tonight, but there’s one thing Melburnians must do to stop a “super spreading event”.

Restrictions in Melbourne will be eased from tonight despite a cluster in a city townhouse complex continuing to grow.

Acting Premier James Merlino said the 25km distance between regional Victoria and Melbourne would be dropped from 11.59pm.

“We know that since the pandemic started, distance has been one of the hardest things to live with, distance from our neighbours, workplaces, places we love and people we love,” he said.

“We know it has been for a reason, keeping our distance.

“We have kept ourselves and others safe. Victoria is at its best when we are altogether.”

Acting Premier, James Merlino. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Public gatherings in Melbourne will be allowed with up to 20 people and up to two visitors are permitted in people’s homes.

Businesses are also allowed to reopen including gyms and indoor entertainment venues.

Hospitality venues can host up to 25 people before applying a density quota.

Masks are no longer required outdoors however they are still required indoors, on public transport and in workplaces

Community sport is also back.

Melburnians are still encouraged to work from home but office workers will be able to return up to 50 per cent capacity.

To protect regional Victoria’s covid-free status, any Melburnians hoping to head to the snow this winter will need to get a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of their trip.

“We need to make sure there are no cases that go up on the mountain,” Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.

“Even though the number in Metro Melbourne, it may well be tiny, single case infections on the mountain would be a potential super spreading event.”

Restrictions will also be eased further in regional Victoria.

Public gatherings will increase to 50 people, restaurants and cafes can have up to 300 people for seated service, religious ceremonies are capped at 300, funerals capped at 100 people and weddings can have 50 guests.

The gAFL game in Geelong on Friday will also be allowed to have a crowd of 7000 people.

The five new locally-acquired cases include two announced yesterday and three further cases linked to current outbreaks. [2/2]

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 15, 2021

Mr Merlino said it was likely they would front the media next week to ease further restrictions.

“It is no exaggeration to say the most important thing that people can do is get tested. As soon as you even have the mildest symptoms, get tested,” he said.

“As we head into winter, this gets more and more important.

“Don’t assume that a sore throat or a cough is just the symptoms of a cold.

“You have got to find out and make sure. The only way to do that is to get tested. It might be the difference between finding and getting on top of an outbreak or having it get out of control. Thank you to everyone for everything you have done to protect our state. This hasn’t been easy but we have been getting there.”

Victoria’s fourth lockdown triggered by Delta, Kappa strains

Victorians were ordered into their fourth lockdown last month after the highly infectious Delta variant rapidly spread across the state.

Regional Victorians were freed from their stay-at-home directions earlier this month however restrictions for Melburnians were increased due to continuing clusters of coronavirus.

Those clusters appear to be under control this week, despite a low-rise townhouse complex in lockdown after a handful of cases were detected there.

Victoria recorded five new cases today — two from the townhouse complex that were found yesterday, and three more linked to current outbreaks.

RELATED: Entire Melbourne complex in lockdown after two new cases

People exercising at Albert Park on June 11 in Melbourne. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

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Victoria’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton said earlier this week that an easing of restrictions hinged on high testing numbers.

“It is not over yet and certainly we want that high level of testing to be able to give that assurance about any other cases that might be out there,” he said.

Health Minister Martin Foley echoed Prof Sutton’s words.

“We still would like to see those numbers higher,” he said.

“Those numbers give our public health team the intelligence and information as to where this virus is circulating in our community.”

Covid-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar said Victorians should have confidence they could be tested quickly.

“People should feel absolutely confident they can get through quickly, easily, get a test almost anywhere across metro Melbourne or wider Victoria and get that result within 24 hours, almost certainly,” he said.

New cases linked to Southbank apartment complex

Victoria technically reported zero new cases of coronavirus yesterday, however two new cases were announced in the early afternoon, part of the five listed in Wednesday’s numbers.

This came after the outbreak at the Southbank apartment complex, where an aged care worker inadvertently gave coronavirus to three other residents in the building.

The Southbank complex is now a Tier 1 exposure site – meaning anyone who has been to the complex between June 2 and June 14 must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the last time they were at the site.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley yesterday said the two new cases – both men with links to communal areas – will be included in today’s figures.

All residents inside the Kings Park Apartment Complex at Dodds and Wells streets are in isolation.

Mr Foley told reporters about 200 people from the complex have been tested so far, and both new cases are already linked to the complex.

Restrictions changes due to be announced

Officials hope to announce any changes to restrictions either today or tomorrow morning, depending on today’s cases.

Regardless of when the announcement is made, authorities are hoping to maintain its tradition of easing restrictions for 11.59pm Thursday.

Dozens more exposure sites were added over the long weekend due to the Southbank outbreak.

However it’s hoped the dropping of the 25km travel limit could provide a massive boost to regional tourism operators.

Victoria’s school holidays will begin next Friday, with Melburnians previously banned from travelling on the recent Queen’s Birthday long weekend city.

Arcare aged care in Maidstone undergoing a deep clean. Picture: David Crosling