REGIONAL residents outside of Ballarat will enjoy additional freedoms for hitting seventy per cent single dose vaccination.<\/p>\n
Gyms and outdoor and indoor pools can reopen from 11:59pm Friday with density limits; however, spas, saunas and steam rooms remain close. Tour buses can operate with up to 10 people.<\/p>\n
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled an easing of COVID-19 restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and Ballarat, including small outdoor gatherings.<\/p>\n
Locked-down Victorians from separate households will be able to gather outdoors in groups of two or more from this weekend as part of easing COVID-19 restrictions.<\/p>\n
Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday announced the easing of restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and Ballarat, triggered by the state reaching its 70 per cent first dose vaccination target on Friday.<\/p>\n
Under the changes from 11.59pm on Friday, outdoor social interaction will be added to the list of reasons residents in lockdown can leave home.<\/p>\n
It will allow two people from two households to meet for a picnic, a walk, or another outdoor activity, while that number grows to five – plus their dependents – for fully vaccinated adults.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews said police would not be checking the vaccination status of people in every park across Melbourne and Ballarat.<\/p>\n
“There’s a degree of good faith in this. I’m asking people to do the right thing. If people do the right thing, then we’ll be out of lockdown sooner,” he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Other changes include an extra two hours of exercise, the expansion of the travel limit from five kilometres to 10, and the reopening of outdoor gym equipment and skate parks.<\/p>\n
Two people will also be permitted to train outdoors with a personal trainer, and real estate inspections can resume by appointment and for vacant homes only.<\/p>\n
Recreational sports activities such as golf and tennis are still not allowed under the changes.<\/p>\n
“You can’t agree to everything. We essentially have prioritised family time, so people being able to connect with another family, another household, outdoors,” Mr Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Melbourne’s 9pm to 5am nightly curfew will remain in place, with the premier declaring he hadn’t received any advice to repeal the controversial measure.<\/p>\n
“The curfew works,” he said.<\/p>\n
In addition, the state government has moved to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for construction site workers after the virus leaked into Ballarat amid widespread transmission within the industry.<\/p>\n
From 11.59pm next Thursday, all construction site workers must show evidence to their employer they have had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p>\n
There will be limited medical exemptions and proof-of-booking exceptions will apply.<\/p>\n
Construction site workers will also be banned from crossing the metro-regional boundary for work, tea rooms must close, and food and drink can no longer be consumed indoors.<\/p>\n
The government’s roadmap out of lockdown, outlining restrictions through to November, will be released on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Australian Medical Association’s Victorian branch said it is “reckless” for restrictions to ease until two weeks after 80 per cent of people over 12 are fully vaccinated.<\/p>\n
“COVID-19 is putting unprecedented strain on Victoria’s healthcare system and now is not the time to open up,” Victorian AMA President Dr Roderick McRae said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Victoria recorded 514 new locally acquired cases on Thursday, with 148 infections linked to existing outbreaks and the source of 366 still under investigation.<\/p>\n
It is Victoria’s highest daily tally since the peak of the state’s second wave in August 2020.<\/p>\n
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