By TOM GANNON
Premier Dan Andrews has announced that lockdown for regional Victoria will end at 11.59pm tomorrow night.
The decision does not include Greater Shepparton.
The state recorded 221 new locally acquired cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 1920.
Contact tracers have so far been able to link just 98 of the cases announced today to existing outbreaks.
The five reasons to leave home will no longer apply to regional Victorians and the travel limit has been abolished but travel to Melbourne is restricted to specified purposes.
These include necessary goods and services, care or compassionate reasons, authorised work/education and other specified reasons including moving home.
Regional schools will reopen for onsite learning for Prep to Grade 2 and Year 12 students as well as Year 11 students studying a Year 12 subject.
Remote learning will remain for all other levels.
Regional childcare will reopen for regional Victorian children.
The Authorised Worker list will no longer apply in the regions, meaning most businesses and venues can reopen with capacity and density limits.
Regional Victorians will return to the rule ‘if you can work from home, you should
work from home’ but office workers will be able to return up to 25 per cent or up to 10 people, whichever is greater.
Businesses will reopen, however Mr Andrews said there will be limits still in place.
“Businesses will be able to reopen, there will be limits though, it’s not a snap back, it’s not freedom day, it’s not 100 per cent capacity down at the pub, it can’t be,” he said.
“If it is we will simply see numbers spread and we will have to close large parts of regional Victoria down again and perhaps even all of regional Victoria.”
Hospitality venues will open with a maximum of 20 patrons outdoors and 10 indoors, subject to density limits.
All retail will be permitted to open with a density limit of one person per 4sqm.
Public gatherings will be permitted for up to 10 people.
Private gatherings will still not be permitted with only intimate partner and single person bubble visits permitted.
Community sport is permitted for outdoor training only with the minimum
number required to train.
Spectators are prohibited except one parent permitted to supervise children.
The Premier said there will be a very significant boost to enforcement at the regional-metropolitan border.
“If you are traveling into regional Victoria you can expect to be pulled over,” he said.
Funerals will be permitted for up to 20 people and weddings will be permitted for up to 10 people, plus those required to conduct the service.
Stricter limits will be in place for both weddings and funerals with people from Melbourne in attendance.
Today’s cases were among 42,429 test results processed on Tuesday with 36,716 vaccine doses being delivered at state-run sites.
