From 6pm today (29 October), Victorians can look forward to having more freedoms returned to them as the State reaches the 80 per cent double-dose vaccination milestone.
Announced by the Premier, Daniel Andrews, regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne are to be subject to the same restrictions, enabling people from Melbourne to travel to regional Victoria and interstate.
“Most indoor settings, including restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will open with no caps subject to a DQ4 (1 per 4sqm) limit, if all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated,” Mr Andrews said.
“Most outdoor settings will remain at DQ2 (1 per 2sqm) limit up to 500, where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated,” he said.
“These indoor and outdoor settings will also apply to weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if all attendees are fully vaccinated.”
Mr Andrews said capacity limits of 30 people would apply for weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if vaccination status was not known.
He said entertainment venues would be able to reopen with a 75 per cent capacity or DQ4 up to 1,000 people for indoor seated venues, and a DQ4 limit with no patron cap for non-seated indoor entertainment venues.
“Outdoor seated and non-seated entertainment venues including stadiums, zoos and tourism attractions will be open with a DQ2 limit up to 5,000 where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated,” the Premier said.
“Events – such as music festivals – will be able to host up to 5,000 attendees, subject to any restrictions related to the venue.”
Mr Andrews said masks would remain mandatory indoors but would no longer be required outdoors.
He said the next milestone in the State’s reopening roadmap would be when Victoria hits the 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target for people 12 years and over, predicted to be 24 November.
“At this point, caps or density quotients will be removed for all settings and masks will only be mandatory indoors in some high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care, public transport and justice and correctional facilities,” Mr Andrews said.
