Busy Cup Weekend ahead as we open up this Friday - October 29

Victoria will reach its 80 per cent double dose target almost a week ahead of the schedule.

The Premier announced today that the milestone will be reached on Friday, October 29.

From 6pm on Friday, regional Victoria and Melbourne will unite and be on the same restrictions, enabling people from Melbourne to travel to regional Victoria and interstate.

“We made a deal with the Victorian community – we asked them to get vaccinated and promised that when they did, we would open up and begin to live alongside the virus. Today we are delivering on that promise," Premier Daniel Andrews said.

“Victorians have met this challenge beyond any of our expectations and these vaccination rates are an incredible achievement. We’re on our way to being one of the most vaccinated – and therefore one of the safest – places in the entire world.”

This news guarantees visitors will be streaming to Phillip Island and the surrounding areas to enjoy the Cup Weekend.

However entry to venues, events, restaurants, cafes and retail will be based on all staff and customers being fully vaccinated.

From 6pm on Friday:

Most indoor settings, including restaurants, pubs, gyms and hairdressers will open with no caps subject to a DQ4 (1 per 4sqm) limit, if all staff and patrons are fully vaccinated. Most outdoor settings will remain at a density limit -DQ2 (1 per 2sqm) limit up to 500, where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.

These indoor and outdoor settings will also apply to weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if all attendees are fully vaccinated. Caps of 30 people will apply for weddings, funerals and religious gatherings if vaccination status is unknown.

Entertainment venues will reopen. For indoor seated venues including cinemas and theatres, there will a 75 per cent capacity or DQ4 up to 1000 people and for non-seated indoor entertainment venues there will be a DQ4 limit with no patron cap.

Outdoor seated and non-seated entertainment venues including stadiums, zoos and tourism attractions will be open with a DQ2 limit up to 5000 where staff and patrons are fully vaccinated.

Events – such as music festivals – will be able to host up to 5000 attendees, subject to any restrictions related to the venue. The Chief Health Officer may also grant an approval for larger crowds for significant events and venues under the Public Events Framework.

Masks will remain mandatory indoors but are no longer required outdoors. It is highly recommended you continue to wear a mask outdoors where you cannot physically distance, such as busy street or outdoor market.

When Victoria reaches 90 per cent double dose milestone – predicted to be as early as November 24 – a significant easing of all major restrictions will occur. At this point, caps or density quotients will be removed for all settings, and masks will only be mandatory indoors in some high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care, public transport and justice and correctional facilities.

For more information call the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398 or visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au.