Overview
It has been a tumultuous month for Melburnians. First came a week-long statewide stint off stay-at-home conditions, followed by a further week of lockdown just in metropolitan Melbourne. Then, although leaving the house for whatever reason you like was allowed again, the 25-kilometre rule made a comeback. Next, all those limits on how far from home you can travel finally lifted — and now a number of other rules are being eased as well.
When Friday, June 25 hits — because, realistically, few folks will be taking advantage of the new relaxed restrictions at one minute to midnight the day before — Melburnians will be able to have more folks over to their house, gather outside with more people, and spend time in more public places with bigger crowds. As announced by Acting Premier James Merlino today, Wednesday, June 23, the new rules will kick in at 11.59pm on Thursday, June 24. They'll be in place for two weeks, too, not one week like previous eased restrictions.
So, for the next fortnight, Melburnians will be able to welcome 15 people over to their house per day and also gather outdoors with up to 50 people — with those rules coming into effect statewide. Funerals and weddings will also be able to have 300 attendees, although the one person per four-square-metres density limit still apples.
For food and hospitality businesses, they'll also be able to welcome in 300 people per venue — but still only for seated service. Small venues can have up to 25 patrons inside before the density requirement kicks in, and venues less than 600 square metres in size can operate with a density quote of one per two-square-metres or a venue cap of 150 people, as long as they have a COVID check-in marshal. For larger venues, the one person per four-square-metres rule is still in effect.
Entertainment, cultural and sporting venues will be able to see bigger crowds through the doors as well — and nightclubs also, although dance floors are still banned. There's a general 300-person cap at indoor spaces, with the one person per four-square-metres rule operating, too, while outdoor spaces can have up to 1000 folks in attendance. For stadiums, they'll have 50-percent limit up to 25,000 people.
Offices can welcome in 75 percent of their employees, and there is no work from home requirement.
Mask rules aren't changing, so they'll still remain mandatory indoors — and will also need to be worn outdoors if you can maintain a 1.5-metre distance from other people.
As mentioned above, these rules will be in effect for two weeks — except when it comes to theatres and stadiums. The Acting Premier advised that, subject to epidemiology and the advice of the Chief Health Officer, they'll be able to host even bigger crowds from 11.59pm on Thursday, July 1. Theatres will go up to 100 percent, and stadiums to 85 percent.
Announcing the latest changes, the Acting Premier said that new steps were "a big step forward so that every Victorian can get together and spend more time together."
Victoria now has 50 active COVID-19 cases as at midnight last night.
Melbourne's restrictions will ease again at 11.59pm on Thursday, June 24. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.