Households will be allowed up to 15 visitors from midnight tonight and big family Christmas celebrations are back on after Premier Daniel Andrews outlined the next step out of COVID restrictions.
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From 11.59pm on Sunday December 13, up to 30 people will be allowed to visit homes meaning families will be able to enjoy Christmas Day together.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT FROM THE PREMIER BELOW
From tonight, the limit on outdoor gatherings jumps to 50 people and masks do not need to be worn outdoors but must be carried in case you come across a group of people and are unable to appropriately distance.
"Masks are playing a very important part in delivering these low numbers and containing the spread of the virus," Mr Andrews said.
Masks will be required inside in all settings, but not outdoors.
"If you go to Bunnings, in store you need to wear a mask, in the car park you don't need to wear a mask but if you queue up for a sausage with other people not keeping a distance apart you need to put a mask on," Mr Andrews said.
Mr Andrews revealed good news for the hospitality sector, with larger venues now capped at a maximum of 300 patrons with 150 inside subject to the one person per four square metre density limit.
In a win for smaller venues, the density limit has been lowered to one person per two square metres with a cap of 50 patrons.
Weddings and funerals held indoors or outdoors can host 150 people, with the one in four square metre density limit, and religious ceremonies can be held indoors with 150 worshippers or 300 outdoors.
With temperatures starting to climb ahead of the official start of summer, outdoor pools will be able to have 300 people in their facility at any one time, and indoor pools will have a maximum of 150 patrons.
And gyms will be able to welcome more members through their doors with a cap of 150 people in groups of 20 and a density limit of one per four square metres.
Indoor physical recreation and sport must follow the same rules as gyms, while outdoor sport can commence with 500 people in groups of 50, and large sporting venues can be at 25 per cent capacity.
And from Monday November 30, office workers can start returning to their workplaces with 25 per cent of staff allowed in the office at one time, though public servants will continue to work from home to allow greater space for workers in private industry to return.
"Victorians have done an amazing job and built something so so precious, but it is fragile and each of us needs to play our part," Mr Andrews said.
"These rules are a reflection of the best public health advice, listing and being driven by science and data and trying to get people back to as close to normal as possible."
STATEMENT FROM THE PREMIER
Three months ago, Victoria had 4293 active cases. Today we have one.
It's an incredible achievement. And the clearest evidence there is of our determination to not only get on top of this virus - but to squash it.
Back then, the goal - the hope - was something a little more 'normal' for Christmas.
Today, because of the efforts of every Victorian, that's exactly what we've been able to achieve.
For those keen to get on and plan how many seats there'll be around the table, I won't waste another second.
Today we can confirm you'll be able to host up to 30 people in your home for Christmas Day. Babies under 12 months won't count towards the cap.
This change will come into effect from 11.59pm, 13 December, just in time for catch-ups, and Christmas barbies - and for our Jewish communities, the closing days of Hanukkah.
We're also able to confirm some more immediate changes.
From 11:59pm tonight, the number of visitors to your home will increase from two to 15 per day.
That can be split across different times - ten for lunch, and five for dinner - as long as people are sticking to a total of 15.
Outdoor gatherings in a public place - the park, the beach - will increase to 50.
For those couples who've had to delay their special day, weddings will increase to 150 people. The same number will apply to funerals and religious ceremonies indoors.
There'll be changes for our hospitality sector too.
For smaller venues, the density limit will change to one person for every two square metres - up to 50 customers. QR code record keeping will be mandatory. For bigger venues, the density limit will stay the same, but the cap will increase to 150. Total venue capacity will also rise to 300.
Cinemas, galleries and museums will also be able to host up to 150 people indoors.
And in good news for community clubs, contact and non-contact sports can begin for adults as well as kids - 150 people indoors with a group size of up to 20 and 500 outdoors with groups of up to 50.
Organisers will also be able to apply to host a public event. Different requirements and rules will need to apply, depending on whether it's a school fete or a major sporting match.
We're also able to begin a phased approach for staff heading back to the office. From 30 November, up to 25 per cent of workers will be able to attend onsite.
I want to be clear though - unless you're one of those people nominated by your employer - you need to keep working from home.
We're also making some changes to the rules around masks.
In short, you'll still need to wear one when you're indoors and on public transport - and where you can't keep your distance.
But if you're outdoors and you can keep a safe distance, masks will no longer be mandatory.
For example, you'll still need to keep your mask on if you're at a busy outdoor market - or in line for a snag at your local Bunnings.
If you're headed for a quiet stroll around the neighbourhood, you won't need to wear a mask - but you will need to carry one, in case the situation changes.
I know for some people, they'll think this is too slow and still too restrictive.
But the point is, masks are a small sacrifice that help keep all of us safe.
And as we've been reminded so recently, all it takes is one case before you've got a much bigger outbreak.
We'll have more to say about what a "COVIDSafe Summer" will look like in the next few weeks - and in line with what our public health experts are telling us is safe.
For now, though, I want to thank Victorians.
Getting here was by no means guaranteed. But we did it. You did it.
It's been a long, hard winter.
Now, it's time to enjoy the sun.