Melburnians can finally take a bow as the city begins to go back to normal tomorrow as the retail sector opens, hospitality and retail too.
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews said “the most important thing today is to acknowledge that with zero cases and so much testing over the weekend, not just in the north but across the whole state, we are able to say that now is the time to open up. Now is the time to congratulate every single Victorian for staying the course.”
A very emotional premier appeared before the press.
“I am very pleased to announce that from 11.59pm on Tuesday 27 October, all retail will open,” he said. He added that restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars would open too. “Indoor, there will be a maximum of 20 people, seated, with 10 people per space. Outdoor, a maximum of 50 people with one person per two square metres. Beauty, personal services and tattooing, provided you can wear a mask, will reopen,” he said.
“There will be a dark opening, that is to say, staff required to make the business ready for trading and, importantly, not just good enough to be ready, must be Covid as well, they are able to attend the workplace immediately, forthwith they are able to do that work to be ready for midnight tomorrow night,” he said.
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It was announced that outdoor community sport for under 18 and outdoor non-contact sport for adults will recommence as well.
The four reasons to leave home will be removed.
What will remain in place is the 25km travel limit as well as the regional metropolitan border.
The gatherings of ten people will no longer be from just two households and funerals would return to 20 mourners. Religious gatherings will also begin to return to normalcy.
“In terms of faith and religious gatherings and we know how important this has been for many people of faith across the community, indoor there will be a maximum of 10 people plus a faith leader. Outdoor there will be a maximum of 20 people plus one faith leader,” he said.
“Now, before I talk about the next step, which will be on 8 November, I want to talk for a moment about in-home visits. These changes I announce today do not come into effect until midnight tomorrow night.
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“It is appropriate because dark opening and being COVID-safe and Covid-ready, to give people notice. Particularly given that we have the northern suburbs tests back and they are all zero, basically they are negative with zero cases from that,” Mr Andrews said.
“In terms of home visits, we will wait until tomorrow to give people a clearer sense of what they will be able to do from midnight tomorrow night.”
Tomorrow morning we will find out more about being able to visit each other.