Good news for Victorians this morning, as Premier Daniel Andrews announces the state’s five-day snap lockdown will end at midnight tonight.
Yes Victoria! You’ve done it again.
Friday’s “short, sharp lockdown” was indeed short and sharp, lasting five days, and coming to an end at midnight tonight.
From 12 am, almost all restrictions will be lifted.
The four reasons to leave home will be gone and 5km travel restrictions will also be abolished.
From tomorrow, 50 per cent of the public and private sector can return to work, schools will reopen and retail and hospitality density limits return to the same rules as last week.
Dan Andrews said that sport and recreation activities can resume again, with density quotas in place, and entertainment and public events will have caps.
However, Victorians can only have 5 visitors to their home, until at least next Friday, and public gatherings with friends and family will be limited to 20.
Masks are still required indoors and outdoors when social distancing cannot be applied.
The announcement comes after yesterday’s doughnuts day, meaning zero new cases were reported in the state after 40,000 test results were returned.
The premier said ” I’ll cut straight to the chase, today is good news.
“It hasn’t been easy or straightforward. In fact, for those Victorians who are part of our health response, it’s been bloody hard work. 3,400 close contacts identified and isolated.”
“Because of the efforts of every Victorian – the sacrifices and the hard slog – we can be confident that slowly, and surely, we are driving the virus into the ground.”
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews
Surely that’s a reason to crack open a cold one?
Yesterday the premier also spoke about the state’s intention of building a purpose-built quarantine centre, based on the Howard Springs model.
“People would be in the same location but not sharing the same spaces, so they’re not under the same roofline.”
Avalon airport and Melbourne airport are both “stand out candidates”.
More to come.