Victorians will be able to unmask this weekend and return to offices next week as the next stage of easing COVID-19 restrictions come into effect.
Announcing the change, Minister for Health, Martin Foley said from 11.59pm tonight (Friday, 25 February) masks would no longer be required in most indoor settings and the recommendation for people to work and study from home would be removed.
Mr Foley said masks would only be required on public transport, in taxis and rideshare, on planes, and indoors at an airport; in hospitals and care facilities; for workers in retail, hospitality, the court system, justice and correctional facilities; and primary school students and workers.
He said masks would also be required for people working indoors at an event with more than 30,000 people attending and in special circumstances, “such as if you have COVID-19 or are a close contact and you’re leaving home”.
“Following a further assessment of hospitalisation rates and workforce pressures, the remaining restrictions on elective surgery will lift on Monday 28 February,” Mr Foley said.
“Public hospitals will be able to resume all surgery, with capacity to be based on an individual assessment of staff availability and COVID-19 demands,” he said.
“Private hospitals will be able to resume up to 100 per cent of pre-COVID activity.”
Mr Foley said he planned to declare several temporary exceptions and deadline extensions for workers required to receive three doses of vaccine.
The Minister said the third dose deadline for workers in education facilities who had received two doses of vaccine on or before 25 October would be extended by a month, “meaning all education workers have until 25 March to be ‘up to date’”.
“Fully vaccinated workers who aren’t yet eligible for a third dose will have a third dose deadline of three months and two weeks from when they had their second dose,” Mr Foley said.
