Though it feels weird and strange to be talking about given everything going on up in Sydney right now, down in Melbourne the state government has revealed the latest batch of restrictions that are set to be rolled back from late tomorrow night. And chief among them is a significant increase to private indoor gatherings.
A short time ago, Acting Premier James Merlino confirmed the latest round of rollbacks that are set to come into effect from 11:59pm on Thursday night.
Crucially, the rollbacks represent a significant levelling of the playing field across the state, with metro Melbourne and regional Victoria being brought back into alignment on a number of key areas.
Up to 15 people will be permitted at private indoor gatherings across the state will be permitted, with outdoor gathering limits raised to 50 people. However, indoor mask rules will remain in place for the time being, meaning Melburnians will still have to mask up in all indoor spaces.
Offices and workplaces will be permitted 75% of their total capacity, or a maximum of 30 people. Hospitality venues get some sort of minor reprieve in the sense that venue caps will be increased to 300. However density limits of 1 person per 4 square metres will still apply, meaning swathes of venues will still have heavily restricted capacities, putting a further strain on an already battered industry.
Outdoor community sport gets a boost, with audience caps of 1,000 set to be put in place, while large outdoor stadiums will be permitted 50% capacity or a cap of 25,000 patrons, meaning larger crowds will be allowed back for this weekend’s round of AFL matches.
Theatre productions have also been singled out in this current round of eased restrictions. Indoor seated venues will be permitted 50% capacity, or up to 1,000 people. But from July 1 – pending health advice – productions like Harry Potter & The Cursed Child or Frozen The Musical will be allowed 100% capacity crowds.
Interestingly, these new eased restrictions are being put in place for at least the next two weeks, rather than the one week periods that have preceded today’s announcement. That move is designed to give Victorians planning intra-state travel over the school holiday period some confidence about undertaking their trips.
Whether or not additional restrictions will be eased next week remains to be seen. The indoor mask rule, in particular, stands as a particularly curious lingering order.
Coincidentally, this is likely the last round of eased restrictions that will be announced by Merlino, with Dan Andrews reportedly due to return to work next week after recovering from a nasty back injury.
