Melburnians on the way

TRAVEL between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria will be allowed from 6pm Friday.

Most indoor settings including restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will also be allowed to open from that time subject to a one person per 4sq m limit for the fully vaccinated people.

Outdoors the one person per 2sqm limit up to 500 for the fully vaccinated will apply.

Victoria is on track to reach the 80 per cent double-dose Covid vaccination threshold on Friday, with about 100,000 doses being administered daily. About 73 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 are now fully vaccinated.

When the state hits 90 per cent of people aged over 12 fully vaccinated – expected from November 24 – gathering limits at homes and in public will be abolished, density limits in hospitality venues will no longer apply, and masks will only have to be worn in highrisk indoor settings such as prisons, aged-care centres, hospitals and on public transport.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it would be a normal Melbourne Cup long weekend.

“We are not going to lock the place down to protect the people who won’t protect themselves.

“At 90 per cent (there will be) very few rules,” Mr Andrews said.

He said once Victoria hit 90 per cent there would be no restrictions for indoor and outdoor events, but Covid-safe plans would likely restrict some major venues from reaching 100 per cent capacity.

“I want to see 80-plus thousand people at the Boxing Day Test on day one. We are confident we can deliver that … provided Victorians continue to get their second doses.”

Mr Andrews said customers and staff working in or accessing non-essential retail would need to be vaccinated.

Mr Andrews said mask rules in some settings and being fully vaccinated to access

services, events and hospitality would be “with us right throughout 2022”.

“The economy is (going to be) opened to you only if you are fully vaccinated.”

He said some caps for religious ceremonies, weddings and funerals would apply for

people whose vaccination status was not unknown.

Meanwhile, 28 new cases were reported for Greater Geelong on Sunday following 26 on Saturday.

Five new cases were reported for each of the Surf Coast and Golden Plains over the

weekend, while one new case was reported for Colac-Otway on Sunday.

Barwon South West public health unit director Eugene Athan said as of Sunday morning, Geelong hospital had 24 inpatients with Covid, including nine in the ICU.

“A further four are no longer active cases, but continue to receive care in the ICU,” Professor Athan said.

Management of King Koi Sushi Bar and Restaurant in Ocean Grove said three staff members had tested positive for Covid.

It comes after a male staff member who tested positive on Friday worked at the restaurant between October 13 and October 18.

Victoria reported 1750 new cases and nine deaths on Saturday and 1935 new Covid cases and 11 deaths on Sunday.