Victorians will no longer need to be fully vaccinated for non-essential retail, weddings, funerals and to use real estate services under state government changes to public health orders.
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The state reported 1405 new COVID-19 cases and a further three deaths on Wednesday.
Health Minister Martin Foley will sign pandemic orders on Wednesday under the new Public Health and Wellbeing Act, which will come into effect at 11.59pm and continue until January 12.
He announced changes to the rules, including that children under 18 will no longer be required to show proof of their vaccination status at venues, including hospitality.
The mandatory vaccination requirement will be removed for all customers in retail, real estate and for those attending weddings, funerals or places of worship.
However, hair and beauty customers must still be fully vaccinated, as are patrons attending restaurants, bars and cafes.
Victoria is now managing 10,781 active cases.
There are 365 patients in hospital, 84 of whom are actively infected with the virus in intensive care and 46 on ventilators.
It is Victoria's highest number of hospitalisations since November 16, when 394 people were in hospital with the virus.
The seven-day hospitalisation average is also on the rise, growing to 335.
Testers processed 77,066 results on Tuesday, while 10,781 people were vaccinated in state-run hubs.
An Omicron case was confirmed to have attended Sircuit Bar in Fitzroy between 9pm and midnight on Friday and then Collingwood's Peel Hotel between 11.30pm and 3am.
It is estimated about 410 people were at Sircuit and another 320 were at the Peel Hotel at those times.
All have been deemed close contacts and must get a PCR test immediately and isolate at home for seven days if fully vaccinated, or 14 if not.
Patrons who entered Sircuit from 6pm to 9pm are also being contacted and asked to self-identify if they were there beyond 9pm, with authorities strongly advising them to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.
"We're still learning more about this variant, so we're taking careful steps to ensure the safety and health of everyone in the community," the health department said on Wednesday.
- Australian Associated Press
