From midnight 13 September, according to the roadmap laid out by the Premier Daniel Andrews, some restrictions will be eased across Victoria. Regional Victoria and Melbourne Metro will have their own roadmap each, relating to how many active cases are currently in the community.
Changes will allow limited in-person visits for single person households and single parents, and limited outdoor meetings for other households starting midnight Sunday 13 September.
In metropolitan Melbourne, a curfew remains in place but has been reduced to 9pm to 5am. There remain only four reasons to leave your home:
- shopping for food or other essential items
- outdoor exercise and recreation
- permitted work and
- caregiving, compassionate reasons or to seek medical treatment
There are limitations on these activities, including travel and time limits. From 11:59pm on Sunday 13 September some changes are being made to restrictions for those in metropolitan Melbourne.
Social
- Two people or a household can meet outdoors for a maximum of two hours for social interaction, exercise or recreation within 5km of their home.
- People living alone or single parents can nominate one person with whom they can form a ‘single social bubble’. The ‘single social bubble’ allows you to visit each other for social connection. Single parents with dependents (including young children) who cannot be left alone will be allowed to include the dependents in the bubble. If you live in metropolitan Melbourne you can only form a bubble with someone in metropolitan Melbourne, not regional Victoria.
- If the person you nominate to be in your bubble lives with other people, you can only visit if they are at home alone. Alternatively, they can visit you at home.
- Professional respite care for people with complex needs is allowed.
Education and childcare
- childcare – remains closed except for permitted workers
- schools – remote learning continues unless an exemption applies
- adult education – only on-site for those on the permitted workplaceslist
Work and business
Only go to work on-site if you are in a permitted industry and you have a permit from your employer.
Shopping, eating and drinking out
- hospitality – take-away and delivery only
- retail – essential only with others only for click and collect
- real estate – certain permitted activities can be done in person but auctions online only
- shopping – 1 person per household per day
Exercise and recreation
- outdoor recreation – must be within 5km, all sport and recreation facilities closed, outdoor playgrounds open
- exercise – outdoors, up to two hours per day total, split into a maximum of two sessions. You can exercise with one other person or members of your household
View the First Step exercise and recreation FAQs
Ceremonies and special occasions
- weddings – only for compassionate reasons, with up to 5 people (including the couple, two witnesses and celebrant)
- funerals – allowed with up to 10 people (infants under 12 months of age or people required to conduct the funeral not included in the limit)
Entertainment, leisure and travel
- travel within Victoria – not allowed, unless for a permitted purpose
- entertainment – all venues closed
- accommodation – closed, except for emergency or permitted purposes
Face coverings
- mandatory for people aged 12 and over when outdoors and in indoor public spaces such as shopping centres
When will we move to the next step?
Explaining the roadmap, the Premier said the goal during this step is to contain widespread transmission of the virus and to get to very low community transmission. This means from 28 September reaching an average of 30-50 cases per day over a 14-day period and subject to advice from our public health officials.