Confirmed: regional restrictions eased from tonight

REGIONAL Victoria will emerge from lockdown as the state records three new COVID-19 cases.

Residents outside of metropolitan Melbourne will be able to leave home for any reason after 11.59pm on Thursday, Acting Premier James Merlino has confirmed.

It comes as Victoria records three new cases out of 57,519 tests and Melbourne’s lockdown is extended until 11.59pm on 10 June.

The three cases – including an Arcare Maidstone aged care resident – are all primary close contacts of existing cases.

A child of a previously identified case in the Whittlesea area and a worker from Stratton Finance at Port Melbourne make up the other two cases.

Under eased restrictions for regional Victoria, there will be no limit on how far people can travel and outdoor gatherings of up to 10 will be allowed.

Mask will remain compulsory indoors and outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible.

Schools, retail and hospitality will also be able to reopen.

Last year’s so-called “ring of steel” to enforce the differing restrictions between Melbourne and regional Victoria isn’t coming back, with roving police patrols to be used instead.

Regional businesses will have to check the IDs of customers to ensure they aren’t from Melbourne.

 

CONFIRMED REGIONAL VICTORIA COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS FROM 11.59PM THURSDAY

* Five reasons to leave home removed

* No travel distance limit from home

* Regional Victorians can travel to Melbourne for permitted reasons, must follow city rules

* Outdoors gatherings up to 10 people

* Food and hospitality venues open for seated service only, 50 person cap subject to density limit

* Retail and personal services providers to reopen with masks

* Religious gatherings and ceremonies permitted for up to 50 people, plus one faith leader

* Fifty people allowed at funerals, 10 at weddings

* Junior outdoor community sport can resume, adults may train outdoors

* Outdoor pools, libraries and toy libraries can reopen for up to 50 people, subject to density limit

* Outdoor entertainment venues capped to 50 people, or 50 per cent of the venue’s seated capacity

* Businesses open in regional Victoria but not Melbourne must check IDs of every customer

* Service Victoria QR check-ins mandatory in retail settings including supermarkets and shops

GREATER MELBOURNE RESTRICTIONS CHANGES FROM 11.59PM THURSDAY

* 5km home travel radius for shopping and exercise extended to 10km

* Year 11 and 12 students return to face-to-face learning, as well as pupils studying a Unit 3 and 4 VCE or VCAL subjects while class is taught

* Outdoor jobs including landscaping, painting installing solar panels and letterboxing can resume

* No other changes

VIRUS CASES AND TESTING

* Three new local cases, taking the current outbreak to 63

– One case linked to Stratton Finance in Port Melbourne

– One case a resident at Arcare Maidstone, linked to another case at the facility

– One case a child of a previously identified case in the City of Whittlesea

* 57,519 tests in the 24 hours to midnight on Wednesday, 23,192 vaccine shots – both Victorian records

* 36 9 exposure sites

* Two confirmed cases on Tuesday attended North Melbourne Primary School – 243 level-one contacts and 90 level-two contacts identified among staff and students, designated testing at Melbourne Showgrounds

* Repeat testing of Bendigo wastewater samples so far all negative, after unexpected detection of the virus i n the area on May 27-28. Also unexpected detection on the Mornington Peninsula between Safety Beach, St Andrews Beach and Portsea from May 27-31

 

-BY BENITA KOLOVOS AND GEORGIE MOORE/ AAP