Masks Remain As Vic Scraps Density Limits

Hospitality density limits will be scrapped along with retail and workplace QR check-ins, but indoor mask requirements will remain, as Victoria cautiously eases COVID-19 restrictions.

Premier Daniel Andrews says Victoria will begin moving "back to normal" over the coming weeks with the state's Omicron outbreak subsiding.

"Some time ago, we made it very clear that we would do everything we could to normalise this virus," he told reporters on Thursday.

"This is exactly what we said we would do, we would have rules on for not a moment longer than they were needed."

Under new pandemic orders, from 6pm on Friday one person per two square metre density limits in hospitality and entertainment venues will be end, meaning dancefloors can reopen.

QR check-ins will no longer be required in retail, schools and workplaces, however they will remain for hospitality and entertainment patrons to ensure those attending are double-dose vaccinated.

A mandate requiring key industries including meat processing to undertake surveillance testing will be replaced with a recommendation.

Hospital worker bubbles will be scrapped, international arrivals will no longer have to obtain a permit and unvaccinated international traveller hotel quarantine periods will be halved to seven days.

Twice-weekly surveillance testing for school students and staff will continue, with another 24 million rapid antigen tests to be distributed to students.

Education Minister James Merlino said the testing program had prevented more than 21,000 COVID-19 cases from entering schools over the first few weeks, according to Burnet Institute modelling.

He said another 60,000 air purifiers will be distributed to government and low fee non-government schools by June 1, while eligible early childhood services will receive another $3.8 million in grants to improve ventilation.

However, indoor masks rules will remain until at least next Friday with Health Minister Martin Foley to assess whether masks requirements in workplaces can be removed.

He will also consider if the recommendation for Victorians to work from home can be eased.

"The public health advice is pretty clear, that we just need the next few days to see this trend stabilise and continue," Mr Foley told reporters.

"I'm confident that with further data, further consultations over coming weeks, that we can put in place arrangements that will stick."

The state government will meet with industry leaders on Friday to discuss how the public and private sectors will approach a return to the office.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said Melbourne CBD businesses were "screaming out for a signal" of when office workers can return.

He called for the state government to "urgently remove" its work from home recommendation, ditch office mask requirements and fund a voucher stimulus scheme does amazon drug test for cbd CBD businesses.

State Opposition Leader Matthew Guy was critical of the government's plan to wait another week to announce further changes.

"Get rid of those mask requirements, particularly in office settings. Do it today," he said.

VICTORIA'S LATEST COVID-19 FIGURES:

* New COVID-19 cases: 8501

* Deaths: nine

* Hospital cases: 401, up four

* Intensive care cases: 78, up 10

* Ventilated cases: 16, up three

* PCR tests processed on Wednesday: 23,683

* Positive PCR tests: 2840

* Positive rapid tests: 5661

* Active cases: 50,042, up 106

* Vaccine doses administered at state-run sites on Wednesday: 9356
dot.gov
* Victorians 18 and over with three vaccine doses: about 53 per cent.


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