Victorians are being told that from next month, the message is shifting from “stay home” to “stay safe”, as a raft of coronavirus restrictions ease.
But the relaxed restrictions will not change the health advice to maintain a 1.5 metre distance from others, avoid hugging and kissing where possible, and give space to those around you.
And those who are vulnerable, such as Victorians over 70, or those with chronic health conditions, are still being urged to think carefully about limiting their interactions in order to reduce the risk of infection.
Premier Daniel Andrews has also made clear the changes will only proceed if every Victorian with the slightest of symptoms continues to be tested to maintain what he says are “among the highest test rates in the world”.
With that in mind, this is what the path out of restrictions for Australia’s second most-populous state will look like.
Forget going back to the office, for now
While lots of things are loosening up, the direction for every Victorian who is able to work from home to do so remains, at least for the rest of June.
“If we have literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people returning to office blocks, pressing lift buttons, sharing the kitchen, using common spaces, bathrooms and other spaces like that, then we will simply have this virus get away from us,” Mr Andrews said.
“It is the greatest risk to a second wave and then all that we’re trying to avoid — the notion of having to reimpose some of these rules.”
While the Premier acknowledged continuing to work from home would be frustrating and difficult for some businesses, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said others had discovered its silver lining.
He encouraged businesses to think about what they could do with their IT infrastructure or organisation to make working from home sustainable.
We can get together in larger groups
From June 1, Victorians will be able to have 20 peopl