Coronavirus: Victoria’s road map to reveal when and how restrictions will be eased

A leaked draft of Victoria’s road map out of lockdown suggests daily case numbers will need to drop to single digits before some rules are eased.

A leaked draft of Victoria’s road map out of lockdown suggests coronavirus restrictions will begin easing on September 14, with some of the first changes being lengthening exercise quotas to two hours and gradual increases in the number of people that can gather together outdoors.

The draft, seen by The Australian, details the different levels of lockdown (Stage 4 being the harshest and Stage 0 or ‘COVID Normal’ being the most relaxed) and outlines the thresholds for easing restrictions.

For the lockdown currently imposed on regional Victoria to be eased from Stage 3 (Stay at Home) to Stage 2 (Go Outside), the draft document says there would have to be an average daily increase in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past fortnight to be less than 5.

Under a summary of proposed lifting of restrictions, the document suggests two people or a household will be permitted to gather outside in Melbourne from September 14, single person or single-parent households will be permitted one house guest and exercise quotas will be lifted from one to two hours per day (split into a maximum of two sessions).

The changes on September 14 for regional Victoria would include additional exemptions to stay at home rules, including allowing up to five people from up to two houses to gather outside.

Mobile users click here to read Daniel Andrews’s draft road map

Further easing of restrictions would occur on September 27, including a lifting of Melbourne’s current 8pm-5am curfew.

The draft road map states five people from a maximum of two households would on September 27 be allowed to gather outside in metropolitan Melbourne, and people would be permitted to leave the home to care for children.

Outdoor training would be allowed with two people per trainer, and outdoor pools would be open for exercise with up to 20 people per pool.

Anti-lockdown protesters clashedwith police in Melbourne on Saturday over tough stage four restrictions. Picture: Matrix

Outdoor pools would also be allowed to open in regional Victoria from September 27.

According to the draft document, primary and secondary students would from September 27 face a phased return to onsite learning for Term 4 — pending outcomes of current modelling.

The document says that, if there are no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the state for 14 days, the restrictions can be eased from Stage 2 to Stage 1 (Stay Aware).

Stage 1 dictates restrictions only on large indoor and outdoor gatherings, with all businesses permitted to operate within social distancing measures.

Stage 0, or ‘COVID Normal’ as the document states, would only be activated once the state records no new coronavirus cases in 28 days.

That stage comes with barely any restrictions on social movement and allows for intrastate travel but organisers for public gatherings would be encouraged to keep records of attendees and there would still be international border controls.

The document is yet to be approved by the Crisis Council of Cabinet, which is chaired by Premier Daniel Andrews. An earlier draft was dismissed as out of date by Mr Andrews.

The Premier is set to announce his government’s final blueprint for easing coronavirus restrictions on Sunday. The state has been under various levels of lockdown for the past two months.