Coronavirus: state whole again as ring of steel rusts away

After 124 days, Victoria is whole again, with the ring of steel dividing Melbourne from the regions scrapped at midnight on Sunday.

‘There has been a lot of pain and hurt and there is a need for healing, for investment, for all sorts of repair’: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

After 124 days, Victoria is whole again, with the ring of steel dividing Melbourne from the regions scrapped at midnight on Sunday as part of a wider relaxation of ­restrictions.

Melburnians are free to travel further than 25km from their homes, intrastate travel is not just allowed but encouraged and the number of guests a household can host a day increases to two adults — from two other houses — plus dependants.

With Victoria recording nine consecutive days of zero cases and zero deaths on Sunday and the number of active cases falling to four, the outlook towards Christmas looks hopeful.

Premier Daniel Andrews said details on this year’s festive season would be unveiled on November 22, when the next round of easing is scheduled to take place. “What is still a little bit uncertain is what is the difference between a COVID normal Christmas and a normal Christmas,” he said.

“There will be some differences but we’re trying to get those as small [and] minimal as they possibly can be.”

The 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings remains but restaurants and bars are allowed to serve 40 people inside and the number of customers outside rising to 70.

In Melbourne, the number of people allowed at funerals and religious gatherings increases to 20 indoors with 50 allowed outdoors while a 10-person limit on wedding guests remains.

 

Working from home will continue while masks will remain mandatory for the foreseeable ­future, although Mr Andrews hinted that rules on face coverings would be revisited in the coming weeks. “When we get a chance to make a change, then of course we will,” he said. “But at this stage, I am not announcing any changes to masks.”

The State Library of Victoria, theatres, cinemas and music and concert halls can reopen with a maximum of 20 ­patrons at a time, with the same limits applying to museums and zoos.

Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said Sunday’s announcement was a step in the right direction but mandating mask wearing outdoors made no sense while the restrictions on hospitality saw many businesses unable to reopen.

“For Victorians who have already spent many months out of a job, this means more weeks without work and more weeks of lost income,” he said.

From November 22, the number of visitors allowed to a household will increase to 10 while up to 50 people will be allowed at public gatherings. The number of people allowed to attend outdoor gatherings will increase to 50, and restaurants and bars will be allowed to serve 100 people inside and 200 people outside.

Restaurant and Catering chief executive Wes Lambert welcomed the announcement but said the industry group would continue to push for limits on patrons to be lifted by December 7. “We will launch a strong lobby for Victoria Functions & Events to get to COVID normal, especially since NSW is allowing a 6000-person indoor concert on 5 December,” he said.

Funerals and weddings will be allowed up to hundred mourners and guests unless at a private residence, in which case household ­restrictions on guests will apply.

Up to five people will be ­allowed at visits to residents in care facilities without a time limit.

Masks can be removed for hairdressing, beauty and personal care services such as beard trimming, facials and piercings.

Up to 20 people will be allowed at indoor auctions, with 50 will be allowed outside.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the state government needed to start planning for workers to return to offices in Melbourne’s CBD. “The plan could include roster systems and staggered start and finish times,” he said. “We should commence transitioning workers back to the office from 30 November as a starting point.”

On Sunday, the state government unveiled a multi-million-dollar ad blitz encouraging intrastate travel, coinciding with the lifting of the ring of steel between Melbourne and the regions.

Mr Andrews urged Victorians to remain vigilant, despite low cases numbers and easing restrictions. “There has been a lot of pain and hurt and there is a need for healing, for investment, for all sorts of repair,” he said. “The most important thing … is to stay the course on this, to be as stubborn as the virus.”