Extension to Victoria’s Lockdown

The anticiPated 2nd SEPTEMBER LOCKDOWN HAS BEEN EXTENDED.

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.

You cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for 2 hours)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is absolutely necessary)

A stay-at-home curfew is in place for Metropolitan Melbourne. Between 9:00pm and 5:00am, you cannot leave your home (or the home of your intimate partner or bubble buddy) other than for limited reasons, including:

• authorised work
• health and medical purposes
• care and support of a child or someone with special needs
• in an emergency or to escape harm

If you are in Regional Victoria, the curfew does not apply. If you travel to metropolitan Melbourne from regional Victoria for a permitted reason, you will be required to adhere to the curfew whilst you are in metropolitan Melbourne.

Victorians may also leave home to visit their intimate partner or their single social bubble buddy outside curfew hours, or in an emergency – including those at risk of family violence at any time.

You must stay within 5km of your home for shopping and exercise. This limit does not apply to permitted work or education, when giving or receiving care, getting a COVID-19 vaccination or visiting an intimate partner or your single social bubble buddy.

You can leave your home in an emergency or if there is family violence.

These actions will protect our loved ones, friends, colleagues, health care workers and the community.

Masks

• Anyone 12 years and over must wear a fitted face mask whenever they leave their home, indoors or outdoors, unless a lawful exception applies.
• Face masks do not need to be worn indoors or outdoors if you are working alone unless another person enters that indoor or outdoor space.
• You can remove your mask in a public place when consuming food, medicine or non-alcoholic drinks.
• Face masks are recommended for primary school aged children, but they are not mandatory.

Necessary goods and services

• Necessary goods and services include supermarkets, pharmacies, butchers, green grocers, bottle shops, petrol stations, post offices, banks, food stores, newsagents, liquor stores, and pet stores. Supermarkets will continue to stay open to allow people to buy food, so there is no need to stock up on groceries. Other retail shops will only be available for delivery or contactless click and collect, and authorised workers may attend onsite to facilitate these orders.
• Cafes and restaurants will only be able to offer take-away and delivery services.
• You can only travel up to 5km from your home for shopping and exercising. You should stay as close to your home as possible, for example, shopping at the nearest supermarket.
• For some people, the nearest essential goods and services will be more than 5km away. In this situation, you may travel beyond 5km to the nearest provider.
• A person is permitted to drive a person with whom they reside, if it is not otherwise practical for that person to leave the house for a permitted reason.
• Only one person per household can leave home to get necessary goods and services. They can leave once a day, which means people can’t make multiple shopping trips. You should limit the time you spend away from home. If you are unable to leave a child, children or a person in your care unattended, they may accompany you. You may accompany someone to shop for support, if necessary, for example, an elderly relative.
• If you are taking a child, children or a person in your care with you when you shop you should not leave them in the car unattended while you shop. Leaving children unaccompanied in a vehicle is an offence in Victoria.
• Hotel and accommodation providers will be able to stay open to support guests already staying onsite. No new bookings can be made, unless for a permitted reason – for example someone who requires accommodation as an authorised worker.
• If you are not at your principal place of residence at the beginning of lockdown, it’s encouraged that you stay where you are for the duration of the lockdown.
• Funerals will be able to go ahead indoors and outdoors with up to ten people, plus those required to conduct the funeral. Weddings will need to be postponed, unless end of life or other exceptional circumstances apply.
• You cannot leave your house for necessary goods and services during the curfew unless they are for health and medical purposes or if you are travelling to or from work as an authorised worker.

Social interaction (single social bubble)

• If you live alone or are a single parent you can create a ‘single social bubble’ by nominating one other person to be a part of your bubble.
• You can have the person you form a bubble with visit your home.
• Your nominated person can be from a household or share house, and you are also able to visit them in their home, but only when they are alone. If both you and your single social buddy are single parents, your children can be a part of your bubble.
• You can stay with your intimate partner or bubble buddy while the curfew is in effect, but you must already be at their house when the curfew time begins.

Exercise

You can leave home to exercise, but there are limits:

• You must not travel more than 5km from where you live to exercise. You must limit your outdoor exercise to no more than 2 hours per day.
• Gyms, pools, community centres, entertainment venues and libraries are closed.
• Outdoor playgrounds, outdoor skateparks and outdoor gym equipment are closed.
• You can exercise with one other person, plus dependants, as long as you both do not travel more than 5km from your home.
• Please use common sense and limit the number of people you see in person right now. It is safer to connect with friends and family using phone calls, social media and video calls.
• If you are exercising with someone else, you should keep at least 1.5 metres distance between you. Don’t hug, kiss or shake hands.
• If you are a parent or guardian who is caring for a child or someone who cannot be left unattended, then they may go with you.
• Recreational activities that require the use of a facility will not be allowed. Facilities such as tennis clubs, bowls clubs, shooting ranges and golf clubs are closed. Outdoor activities that can be undertaken without accessing a facility, such as hunting, are permitted within the 5km and 2 hour limits.
• You cannot leave your house during the curfew for exercise.

Health care

• You can leave home to receive health care or attend medical appointments (including COVID-19 vaccination appointments or to get a COVID-19 test).
• If you need to see a doctor or health care professional, you should do so. Do not put off getting medical care. Your doctor or health care professional can provide advice on how to stay safe.
• You can leave home to care for a sick or elderly relative. If you provide care for someone, you should try to keep at least 1.5 metres between you when you can.
• Wear a face mask.
• You can leave home to accompany someone for essential medical treatment if you are a parent, guardian or necessary support person.
• You can take a pet to the vet.
• The 5km limit does not apply to care and health care.
• You can leave your home during the curfew for health and medical purposes, or to provide care and support for a child or for someone with special needs.
• You can leave home in an emergency or to receive urgent emergency medical care.

Work and education

• A list of who is considered an authorised provider or an authorised worker is available online.
• All authorised workers must carry a permit that is certified by their employer whenever they are travelling to work and attending work. This is required from 11:59pm on Tuesday 17 August.
• If you are an authorised worker with a permit, you can leave your home to travel to and attend work during the curfew. You must carry your permit and photo ID with you at all times when travelling for authorised work.
• If you can work from home – you must work from home.
• You can go to work to collect the materials or equipment you need to work from home.
• The 5km limit does not apply to work.
• All schools are closed, except for vulnerable children and children of authorised workers or authorised providers, who can attend for onsite supervision. Schools will continue to support students through remote learning or providing learning materials for use at home.
• Universities and TAFEs must close or move to remote learning.
• Childcare and early education centres will open for vulnerable children and the children of authorised workers only. An Authorised Worker Permit is required to access childcare and early education centres.
• A permit is not required for a child or young person experiencing vulnerability to access childcare.
• There is an amnesty until 11:59pm Monday 23 August 2021 for authorised workers to attain the permit to access childcare.
• Victorians may work interstate (where permitted by the state you are working in).

Additionally

• You can leave home if there is an emergency.
• You can leave home if there is family violence or violence by another person in the home, and you are at risk. If you are stopped by police, tell them you are feeling unsafe at home and they will help you. Safe accommodation and support for family violence is available. Call safe steps on 1800 015 188 or email [email protected] for help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you need to leave home, you must wear a face mask, unless you have a lawful reason for not doing so.

Other ways to stay safe

• Always wash your hands before you leave, and when you return home.
• Keep at least 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
• Never, ever go out if you are unwell unless it is to get tested.
• After you get tested, you must go straight home.
• Remember that the most important thing you can do is get tested, even if you have the mildest of symptoms.
• Get vaccinated.