What are the new coronavirus rules for Victoria?

The Victorian government has announced that a number of health rules to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will ease.

The measures come into effect at 6pm on Friday.

The state government has been in talks with business groups about scrapping the recommendation to work from home in the hope of regenerating the CBD and sectors that rely on its vibrancy. But a decision on whether the recommendation does get removed will wait until next week.

Meanwhile, several other significant restrictions will be relaxed, including density limits and QR code check-ins.

Hospitality venues

Density quotients will be removed for hospitality venues, and dance floors will be allowed to reopen.

Visitors to retail outlets, schools and workplaces will no longer have to scan a QR code to check-in.

However, the codes will remain in place at restaurants and entertainment venues.

The check-in requirements would stay in place at “vaccinated economy” venues, Premier Daniel Andrews said.

Masks

Indoor mask rules will remain in place in Victoria for some weeks. Mr Andrews said, depending on data, further announcements about mask requirements and return-to-work advice would be made at the end of next week.

“We’re confident that we’ll be able to get to a situation next Friday where masks are off in the office and the advice changes ... people will then be free and, in fact, we’ll be encouraging them to go back to the office,” he said.

However, Health Minister Martin Foley said it was likely that even if the rules were changed and masks were no longer compulsory in all indoor settings, there would still be some exceptions where they would be required.

“We’ll continue to consult, as I have been, with our public health officials, with our hospital sectors, public and private, with businesses, and a range of other stakeholders,” he said. “I am confident that you will see us here again next week, confirming the arrangements around masks.

COVID-19 restrictions will be eased from 6pm on Friday.Credit: Justin McManus

“But what we want to do is to make sure it’s proportionate, that it’s only when necessary, and [that] it has the kind of public health, and local workplace outcomes that we’re seeking.”

Return to work

Health authorities will consider next week whether it’s appropriate to remove the recommendation to work from home.

School

Rapid antigen testing will be in place for the whole of term one. Education Minister James Merlino said a further 24 million tests would be provided to schools.

A further 60,000 air purifiers would also be distributed to schools — bringing the total number of air purifiers in schools in the state to 111,000.

Eligible kindergarten services will also receive a further $3.8 million in grants to support better ventilation in their classrooms.

Initially, the rapid antigen testing program was slated to run throughout the first four weeks of the term. However, Mr Merlino said consistent testing was estimated to have prevented more than 21,000 coronavirus infections, assuming a 75 per cent compliance rate, and given those results it was prudent to continue the program.

School and early childhood staff must have received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by February 25 to keep working on-site.

Travel

The 14-day hotel quarantine period for international visitors and aircrew who are not fully vaccinated will also be reduced to seven days.

Hospitals

Requirements for hospital worker “bubbles” have also been scrapped.

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