Rules that are sticking around in Victoria as lockdown ends

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced an end to lockdown this morning but several rules will remain in place after today.

Victoria will emerge from its fifth lockdown at midnight on Tuesday but a number of rules will stay in place, Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed.

Restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes will be allowed to reopen to patrons but a strict density limit of 1 person per 4 sqm will be enforced.

There is good news for hairdressers and beauticians who will also be permitted to open to the public while workers will be encouraged to head back to the office at just 25 per cent capacity.

Live music venues, dance studios and gyms will reopen with density limits. Retail outlets will also reopen and students from all year levels will return to face-to-face learning again starting on Wednesday.

Public gatherings are back but the limit on groups gathering outdoors will be set at 10 for at least the next few weeks. Private gatherings indoors are still banned because of the threat of the virus spreading inside homes.

Thanks to every single Victorian who has done the right thing, we're able to lift the lockdown from 11:59pm tonight. pic.twitter.com/YRxzdRGms3

— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) July 27, 2021

Masks will remain mandatory both indoors and outdoors and Premier Daniel Andrews says he expects masks to play a role for the foreseeable future.

Victorians will be allowed to move around again after the 5km travel limit was scrapped and community sport will return without supporters.

Weddings and funerals will have limits of 50 people each and the hard border with NSW will stay in place after a number of incursions spread the virus from Sydney to Melbourne — most notably when three Sydney removalists sparked Victoria’s lockdown by working while infectious without wearing masks in violation of their cross-border work permits.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a staggered end to Victoria’s lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

People visiting Victoria’s alpine resorts, including children, must show a negative covid test result before entering the region.

The current settings will be in place for two weeks, the Premier said.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Andrews thanked Victorians for doing the right thing.

“I am deeply grateful to every single Victorian who has done the right thing,” he said.

“Can I particularly give a shout out to those thousands of close contacts, many of whom are still at home in their 14 days of isolation.”

The Premier congratulated Victorians for seeing off two Delta outbreaks.

“The significance of this today to be able to end this lockdown at midnight tonight and return to settings that are quite close to the settings before we went into this lockdown says to all Victorians, sends a clear message, that we have seen off two Delta outbreaks.

The lockdown that has impacted Melbourne will lift at midnight on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

“I don’t think there’s a jurisdiction in the world that has been able to achieve that and every Victorian should be proud of that, every member of the public health team should know that we as Victorians are grateful to them, but at the same time, we have to remain vigilant.

“Today is a good day, a good, positive day, but there’s a lot of work that still has to be done.”

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said the lockdown stopped the virus from spreading around the community.

He thanked the 40,000 people who had quarantined as primary and secondary contacts.

Victoria recorded 10 new local cases on Tuesday but all have been linked to the current outbreak and all were in quarantine for the entire time they were infectious.

Across Sunday and Monday, the state recorded 22 new local cases but all were again linked and isolating while infectious.