November 18, 2021
No more caps, closures!
Victoria will ease a raft of COVID-19 restrictions from midnight for the fully vaccinated with the state set to pass its 90 per cent double dose vaccination mark.
Restrictions will ease from 11.59pm tonight and there will be “no more rules, no more caps” for venues, Premier Daniel Andrews said.
"There are no more caps, there are no more closures. There are no more rules in terms of how many people can be in different spaces," Mr Andrews said.
Gathering limits at homes and outdoors have been scrapped.
Masks will no longer be required indoors – except in retail settings, and venues will be allowed to operate at full capacity.
The easing of restrictions means large-scale events such as the upcoming Boxing Day Test at the MCG will be able to go ahead with a full crowd of 100,000 vaccinated attendees.
“Because 90 per cent of Victorians have gone and gotten vaccinated, so many of these rules – almost all of them can fall away,” Mr Andrews said.
"Whether it is 100,000 people at the MCG on Boxing Day, or a smaller group of people standing up at the local pub having a beer - this is a COVID normal that every Victorian has wanted."
The state’s mask mandate will still apply in certain circumstances, including in retail until next month.
Masks will still be required in indoor retail settings, for primary school staff, visitors and for students in grades 3 to 6, for visitors and select workers in hospitals or care facilities, as well as for people using public transport, taxi/rideshare and planes.
Retail customers will no longer need to wear masks after December 15 – in line with New South Wales’ restrictions, providing the state’s hospitals are not overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
People working in high-risk settings such as corrections, meat, poultry and seafood processing will still need to wear masks.
Read full 9 News story here.
Find information on COVIDSafe Settings for living and working in Victoria, head here.
