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Premier Daniel Andrews reveals plans for COVID normal Christmas

Daniel Andrews has revealed what Victorians can expect for Christmas and says it will be better that what many imagined.

Lockdown lifted: All the restrictions being eased in Victoria from October 27

Premier Daniel Andrews says Victorians will have a “COVID normal” Christmas this year and celebrate the festive season with family.

The Premier made the revelation on Tuesday while announcing Melburnians would be able to have two adults and their dependants visit their homes under the next easing of coronavirus restrictions from 11.59pm on Tuesday.

Mr Andrews said Christmas in 2020 would be “much more like a normal Christmas” than what many would have imagined at any point this year.

“If we continue to be vigilant, if we continue to follow the rules … then we will be able to have COVID normal Christmas where you can have family around to your home and celebrate something that looks much, much more like a normal Christmas,” Mr Andrews said.

The Premier said he would reveal a much more complete picture of what COVID normal and Christmas would look like when the next easing of restrictions occurred on November 8.

Christmas shoppers at Chadstone in Melbourne in 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith
Christmas shoppers at Chadstone in Melbourne in 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

“We’ll be able to paint that picture about what the rest of the year looks like (then),” he said.

Melbourne’s 25km travel limit and the “ring of steel” separating metropolitan and regional Victoria are set to be removed on November 8, meaning families across Victoria will be able to celebrate Christmas together.

But Mr Andrews said the requirement for Victorians to wear masks would likely remain until the end of the year and possibly into 2020.

“If we're going to have that ring of steel gone on the 8th, and we’re going to have people travelling into regional Victoria and vice versa, and that’s critical for tourism and lots of reasons, masks need to be with us across the whole state for some time to come,” he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said masks would remain a requirement until at least the end of the year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said masks would remain a requirement until at least the end of the year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

“It is a very low price to pay for potentially a very significant benefit.”

Mr Andrews recommended people keep their masks on when visiting other people’s homes, but he acknowledged they couldn’t police hundreds of thousands of household and encouraged everyone to make the “good, smart choice”.

“But masks are an important part of this now. They won't be there forever. It’s not a permanent setting, but it will be there for so long as the health team are really clear with us that this does play a role,” he said.

It comes as Victoria recorded two consecutive days of zero new coronavirus infections, the first time in 235 days since March 5 and 6.

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jack.paynter@news.com.au

Read related topics:Coronavirus

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/premier-daniel-andrews-reveals-plans-for-covid-normal-christmas/news-story/82a3e9a2fbf03a5a66c8112529cc21aa