Victoria’s mask rules to ease further

VICTORIANS will only need to wear masks in “a limited number of places” in a major easing of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, which will come into effect from midnight tonight, Sunday, 6 December.

It will still be mandatory to carry a mask, but according to a statement from Premier Daniel Andrews, they will only be required on public transport, on rideshare vehicles and taxis, and in some retail settings including including indoor shopping centres, supermarkets, department stores and indoor markets.

While masks are no longer mandated in most circumstances, they continue to be recommended indoors or outdoors when distancing cannot be maintained.

“Masks have been a great insurance policy for us, and they remain as such,” Mr Andrews said at a press conference this morning.

The other “COVIDSafe Summer” changes to come into effect at 11.59pm tonight include:

• As previously flagged, Victorians will be able to host up to 30 people (up from 15) in their home over the course of a day, from any number of households. Outdoor gatherings in public places will increase to 100.
• Density limits in pubs, restaurants and cafes will shift to one person per two square meters for both indoors and outdoors with no other cap. Standing service will now be allowed. The use of electronic record keeping, like a a QR code, will be mandatory. For small operations, there will be be no density limits if the patron number is under 25.
• For retail and beauty services, businesses will be able to move to one person per two square meters if they also introduce electronic record keeping. For businesses where that’s not possible, the existing density limits will continue to apply.
• The cap for funerals and weddings will also be removed, subject to the one person per two square meters. Dancefloors will be able to host up to 50 people, with a density of one person per four square meters.
• In gyms, the density limit will move to one per four square meters, with exercise classes limited to 50 indoors and 100 outdoors.
• There will be a 50 per cent return for office workers by 11 January, after considering the public health advice at the time. For the Victorian public service, up to 25 per cent will be able to return to the office from 11 January, moving up to 50 per cent on 8 February.

Mr Andrews said the new restrictions would apply for most of the summer, and would be reviewed in January.

Today marks 37 consecutive days without a new case of coronavirus in Victoria.

For the latest updates, head to dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.