Australia unveils Victoria’s roadmap for reopening

Victoria, the state at the epicentre of Australia’s Covid crisis, has unveiled its “Roadmap for Reopening,” which includes the return of the live entertainment sector.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that the capital city, Melbourne, will remain under stage 4 lockdown measures until 28 September with some relaxation from 13 September, including a later curfew of 9 pm, instead of 8 pm.

The Roadmap for Reopening will require all entertainment venues across Victoria to stay closed throughout the first two stages of the plan.

Subject to case numbers, stage 3 will launch on the 26 October, permitting outdoor entertainment venues in Victoria to reopen with capacity restrictions in place.

Then, provided the state has no new cases for 14 days, the last step in the plan will be initiated on 23 November, when indoor and outdoor venues will open with density quotient and patron caps.

Outdoor entertainment venues in Victoria will be permitted to reopen with capacity restrictions in place on 26 October

Public outdoor gatherings will increase to 50 people and large events will be treated on an individual basis based on “requirements and epidemiology” at the time.

The state will then move to, Covid Normal, when there has been no new cases for 28 days (state-wide), no active cases (state-wide) and no outbreaks of concern in others states or territories.

It’s expected that all restrictions will be lifted at this point, which means that all entertainment venues can reopen with “safety measures and record-keeping” in place.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said at a press conference all the dates stipulated in the Roadmap for Reopening are “indicative”.

The state has been the epicentre of the country’s second wave, accounting for 90% of Australia’s 753 deaths, according to BBC News.

Ongoing Coronavirus concerns have caused widespread cancellations during Australia’s festival season, affecting events including St Kilda Festival, Strawberry Fields, Loch Hart Music Festival, Festival X, Meredith Festival, BigSound.

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