THERE is a collective sigh of relief across Swan Hill after stay-at-home restrictions were finally lifted last week.
The five reasons to leave home were removed from 11.59pm, and there is no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel.
However, they will not be allowed private gatherings and travel to Melbourne is off-limits.
Gatherings in restaurants, cafes, and in public in groups of up to 10 are allowed.
Prep to Grade 2 students, as well as Year 12 students, will return to the classroom.
The authorised worker list will no longer apply in the regions, paving the way for most businesses and venues to reopen.
Twenty mourners will be allowed at funerals and 10 at weddings.
Restaurants and cafes, retail, hairdressers and entertainment venues can reopen for seated service, although strict patron caps of 10 patrons inside and 20 seated outside will be in place.
Businesses will need to check the identification of everyone they serve.
Masks will continue to be required indoors and outdoors, apart from private residences, unless an exception applies.
Victoria Police will be out in force protecting the metro-regional divide in efforts to prevent the virus leaking into the regions.
Officers will carry out spot checks to ensure visits from metropolitan Melbourne are for authorised reasons. Anyone caught flouting these rules will cop a fine of $5452 for breaching the Chief Health Officer’s directions.
Premier Daniel Andrews warned that while “a degree of freedom” for regional Victoria had been hard won, any cases emerging in coming weeks would be met with “a focused and targeted series of measures”.
“It’s not a snapback, it’s not freedom day, it’s not 100 per cent of capacity down at the pub – it can’t be,” Mr Andrews said.
“If it is, then we’ll simply see numbers spread and then we’ll have to close large parts of regional Victoria down again and perhaps even all of regional Victoria.
“I fully concede it is not everything that everybody would want, but it is what’s safe and it is what we believe can be made sustainable.
“It’s not essentially an invitation for cases to get out of control and then us having to take steps backwards … we want to try to avoid that.”
Mr Andrews said the new measures would remain in place until the end of September and vaccination rates and COVID-19 case numbers would be relevant considerations in regional conditions in October and November.
Mr Andrews said if there were cases in regional areas in the weeks to come, there would be “focused and targeted” measures in the areas affected.
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said he had repeatedly called for lockdowns to be a last resort.
“Mr Andrews’ policy of using them, statewide, as a first response has left Victorians losing hope we’ll ever get out of this,” Mr Walsh said.
Member for Mallee Anne Webster said said she was “cautiously optimistic” that regional Victoria would be released from lockdown.
“Sadly, gym and other indoor physical activity businesses will remain closed, which is another kick to the guts for our local small business owners,” she said.
“However, the Premier did indicate that his government is no longer chasing zero cases in the community.
“He said that that he now has a greater tolerance for risk and is therefore happy to pursue targeted restrictions in regional settings.
“This is exactly what I have been calling for months now – proportionate and targeted measures, and I’m glad the Premier has indicated that this will be his approach going forward.”
Victoria recorded 473 new cases to 8pm on Sunday, bringing the active case total to 3507.
Metropolitan Melbourne will benefit from eased restrictions when 70 per cent of the population has had at least one vaccine dose.
THE NEW RESTRICTIONS
– Travel will be allowed around regional Victoria, except Greater Shepparton, with no distance limit
– Movement between metropolitan Melbourne and the regions is restricted
– Public outdoor gatherings will be allowed with a maximum of 10 people
– People aged 12 and over must show evidence of a COVID-19 test within the previous 72 hours as a condition of entry to ski fields at alpine resorts
– Regional accommodation providers will only be allowed to take bookings from people who live in the same household, or intimate partners and single bubbles
