By Luke Voogt
Victorians will be able to visit each other after Premier Daniel Andrews announced an easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Monday.
Mr Andrews announced Victorians would be able to have up to five visitors at home, with the changes to take effect at 11.59pm on Tuesday night.
But he urged people to use “common sense” in visiting others.
“This is not an invitation to be out visiting family and friends every lunch and dinner of May,” he said.
The changes were “safe, cautious and appropriate” for Victoria, he said in a press conference on Monday morning.
“Whilst the numbers are stable there’s a real need to be cautious,” he said.
“If [we] relax too many rules too quickly … we will find ourselves in a lockdown even harder than the one we’re coming out of.”
The easing of restrictions will also allow people to gather in groups of up to ten outdoors, while maintaining physical distancing.
Weddings and religious services will be able to have up to ten attendees while up to 20 people will be able to attend funerals, or 30 if held outdoors.
People will be able to play golf, kick a footy and go fishing and hiking in groups of up to 10, provided they maintain social distancing.
Mr Andrews said the new rules allowed training for community sport in groups of ten, with physical distancing, and he recommended disinfecting all shared equipment.
Hairdressers can open with four square metres per person indoors.
Restaurants and cafes will be open for takeaway only, while camping and overnight stays outside of home will remain prohibited.
National and state parks will open for hiking, fishing, hunting, prospecting, diving, boating and other recreational activities for groups of up to 10.
Mr Andrews foreshadowed a gradual return to face-to-face teaching prior to the end of term 2, depending on the result of the new restrictions.
He also foreshadowed a potential return of the AFL, with professional sport to resume training this week.
“There has been a lot of work between the AFL and the public health team,” he said.
The revised restrictions would remain in place until May 31, Mr Andrews said.
The announcement came as seven new coronavirus cases brought the total state-wide to 1494.
One of the seven was related to the Cedar Meats outbreak, four were returned overseas travellers and two were still under investigation, Mr Andrews said.
More than 161,000 Victorians were tested in the past fortnight, on top of those tested already, Mr Andrews said.
About 141,000 tests processed so far had revealed 30 cases that would have remained otherwise undiagnosed, he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a three-step plan to ease restrictions last Friday.
Mr Morrison outlined several measures, saying state premiers would decided how to implement them.
