Sky News Australia – Oct 26, 2020
Premier Daniel Andrews has finally green-lit the opening of retail, restaurants, hotels and cafes from Wednesday after Melburnians spent weeks in lockdown while case numbers were extremely low.
Mass testing took place in a northern Melbourne cluster overnight returning more than 1500 negative COVID tests, which the premier used as a justification to halt announcing any changes on Sunday.
Cases have been in very low numbers for weeks, prompting calls from the business community for Mr Andrews to open much earlier.
Mr Andrews said retail, restaurants, hotels, cafés and bars will reopen, with hospitality venues restricted to a maximum of 20 people indoors seated, with an outdoor capacity of 50 people.
The premier also announced the four reasons to leave the home will be removed, but the 25 kilometre travel limit remains in place.
Outdoor gatherings remain at a maximum of 10 people with infants under 12 months not being included in that calculation.
“Gatherings will no longer be limited to just two households to can be more than two households but the group cannot exceed 10,” Mr Andrews said.
“We are able to say that now is the time to open up. Now is the time to congratulate every single Victorian for staying the course”.