Face Masks Will Become Mandatory Indoors in Greater Melbourne From 6pm Tonight
New caps on at-home and public gatherings are coming into effect as well.
In response to the city's latest COVID-19 cases, the Victorian Government is reintroducing a number of restrictions within the Greater Melbourne area. Gatherings at home will be capped at five people per day, and a 30-person limit will come into effect in public areas — and, indoors, you'll need to wear face masks again.
Announcing the changes today, Tuesday, May 25, Acting Premier James Merlino said that "these additional measures are an important extra precaution while we await the results of testing and undertake widespread contact tracing to stamp out the virus."
The amended mask mandate comes into effect at 6pm tonight, applies to all indoor spaces and covers everyone over the age of 12 — unless you have an exemption. While it only covers the Greater Melbourne area, residents who leave the region are still required to abide by the rules. So, if you're visiting regional Victoria from Melbourne, you'll need to keep wearing a face mask when you're indoors.
The gathering limits and mask requirement come after five new coronavirus cases were identified in the city's northern suburbs in the past 24 hours — four that were announced yesterday, and another that was revealed this morning. Victoria will also pause its plan to ease capacity caps for small- and medium-sized venues, which was initially slated to start on Friday, May 28.
If you're now wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
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