By Jessica Micallef
Metropolitan Melbourne will be in stage four lockdown for at least another two weeks from September 13 as part of the state’s roadmap out of COVID-19.
On Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a “steady and safe” plan to what he described as a “covid normal”.
He said Victoria risked a third wave of coronavirus by Christmas if restrictions were lifted too quickly.
“I want to get the place open, and I want to keep it open,” Mr Andrews said. “There is no choice for us, there is only one option.
“I want a Christmas that is as close to normal as possible, and this is the only way.”
From September 13, stage four lockdown for metropolitan Melbourne will be extended by two weeks with several changes.
The curfew will be extended to 9pm, daily exercise will be increased to two hours, social bubbles will be created for people living alone, playgrounds will reopen and public outdoor gatherings for two people will be increased to two hours.
Further restrictions will be eased from September 28, subject to public health advice and if average daily cases are 30 to 50 in metro Melbourne over the previous 14 days. There will be a return to face-to-face teaching for junior pupils, VCE and VCAL and specialists schools from October 12.
Childcare will reopen, outdoor pools will reopen and outdoor gatherings could increase to up to five people.
On October 26, the curfew and a cap on the number of reasons you can leave your home will be dropped, if daily average cases of coronavirus is less than five new cases, and less than five cases from unknown sources over the previous 14 days, statewide.
Some hospitality would recommence with outdoor dining.
The number of active coronavirus cases in Hume has dropped to below 130 for the first time in two months.
As of Sunday, there were 128 active cases of the virus in the municipality – 1610 individuals have contracted the virus since the pandemic began.
In the Macedon Ranges, 58 cases have been recorded, three of them remain active.
