This is something the Victorian Chamber has been advocating for and the timing is right given we now have zero active COVID-19 cases in Victoria. The changes include:

• The 75 per cent cap on private and public offices workers will be removed, noting that all workplaces are still required to ensure people can work from the office in a COVIDSafe way.
• Masks will no longer be required in retail settings however, Victorians will still need to carry one at all times and wear it on public transport, in rideshare vehicles and taxis and in sensitive settings such as aged care facilities and hospitals.
• Victorians will be able to host up to 100 people in their home per day. Outdoor gatherings in public places – the beach, the park – can also increase to 200 people.
• Density limits in venues still operating under more restrictive settings – like casinos, karaoke venues and nightclubs – will move from one person per 4sqm to one person per 2sqm, the same as cafes, pubs and restaurants.
• There will no longer be limits on class sizes for outdoor and indoor physical recreation or fitness classes.

The Victorian Chamber would like to see the removal of density limits on hospitality venues, so that venues still struggling after a year of devastation can get back to a sustainable footing and regrow jobs.

To be attributed to Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Paul Guerra:

“This is a great step and one that will give all Victorians confidence.

“Twelve months ago today we were told, ‘if you can stay home, you must stay home.’ On 23 March 2021, our mantra should shift to, ‘if you can go out, you should go out, but be COVIDSafe.’

“With the end of support measures like JobKeeper and rent relief fast approaching, along with zero cases of community transmission, now is the time to remove all remaining restrictions on the hospitality sector.

“Business has spent the past 12 months doing what they’re told, now it’s time to repay that. We all have an obligation to do the right thing: check in and be COVIDSafe. It’s in the interest of all Victorians that we all take personal responsibility for playing our part. If outbreaks do occur, they should be dealt with in a targeted and localised way so that we are not locking down the entire state.

“Let’s stop telling businesses what they should be doing. They have done what’s required over the last 12 months, now let’s support them. Business owners are the experts at running businesses, so let’s let them get on with it.”