Zero.  

The last time Victoria had zero cases was 9 June, 139 days ago. 

Even more incredibly, it’s zero cases off the back of a huge testing drive.  

Over the course of this weekend, we asked Victorians living in our northern suburbs to get tested. They did just that. 

In 24 hours, we have been able to process an additional 14,024 tests – 3196 of them from these communities. This  morning we’ve processed an extra 1157. 

And not a single new case has been found.  

I want to thank everyone who did the right thing by their community and our state in getting tested. I also want to  thank the nurses, lab technicians, collectors, couriers – everyone who has been working around the clock to process  these tests.  

Because of that effort, we’ve been able to get the results faster than we thought. These results give us confidence – confidence that even if we do identify positive cases in any further tests – we are firmly on top of this virus.  

It’s why today I can confirm what we’ve long waited for: Melbourne will move out of lockdown and into the Third Step.  Before we get to the bit that almost everyone will be waiting for, an ask: 

As we take these steady steps towards reopening, the message remains the same: please, stay safe. And if you have  symptoms, you must get tested. 

Under the Third Step, and from 11:59pm on Tuesday, Melbourne will move from “stay home” to “stay safe”, with no  more restrictions on the reasons to leave home.  

The 25-kilometre limit though, will remain in place. I know it’s frustrating, but this is about making sure that even as  we ease restrictions, we’re limiting the virus’s ability to travel.  

It’s why the border between regional Victoria and Melbourne will also remain in place – for just a bit longer.  

Under the Third Step, Melbourne’s cafes, restaurants and pubs can reopen. Outdoors with a limit of up to 50, indoors  up to 20. Density limits, record keeping and COVIDSafe Plans also apply.  

Remaining retail will also open. Beauty and personal care services can resume. And for those businesses who need to  get ready for their reopening – staff will be able to attend onsite straight away.  

Outdoor contact sport for those aged 18 and under will also begin again – so too can non-contact sport for adults. PT,  fitness and dance classes can also be held outdoors with up to ten people, and the number of people at outdoor pools  can increase to 50, subject to density limits.  

Libraries and community venues will be able to open for outdoor events. Outdoor entertainment venues can also  begin hosting visitors.

And faith communities will be able to meet for outdoor religious ceremonies with up to 20 people, in addition to those  required for the service. Indoor services can be held with up to 10.  

Weddings will increase to ten people, and funerals up to 20.  

Workplaces will no longer need to be on the permitted work list to open and the ability to work will change to “if you  can work from home you must work from home”. 

While the boundary is in place, work permits will still be required for workers from Melbourne travelling into regional  Victoria – and vice versa.  

I know the thing many people are missing is having people over to visit – but as we’ve seen, this virus is at its most  dangerous when we’re indoors and relaxed and comfortable. 

It’s why we’re going to take the next 24 hours to understand how we might be able to make this work – safely – and  I’ll have more to say about this tomorrow. 

From 8 November, and if we can continue driving case numbers down, the 25km limit will come off and Melbourne  will be able to meet regional Victoria at the same level.  

That means the same eased restrictions that apply to regional Victoria will also apply to Melbourne.  The capacity of pubs and restaurants will increase, with up to 40 inside and 70 outside. 

Religious gatherings will expand with up 20 people and a faith leader indoors, and 50 outside.  Gyms and indoor fitness will be able to reopen – with some strict safety precautions in place. And because Melburnians will have well and truly earnt a holiday, accommodation will also reopen. The border between the city and the rest of our state will also fall away.  

I know personally – deeply – just how much this will mean for thousands of Victorians who haven’t been able to see  loved ones for far too long.  

It will mean families are whole again. Our state is whole again. 

I understand there'll be questions, “what about X?” or “when can I do Y?”. And I promise, we’ll also have an update  on 8 November on the timelines and thresholds for taking the Last Step.  

We want to reach COVID Normal by Christmas and right now, we’re on track to do that. 

It’s why we’ve got to keep going – all of us. Understanding that even though restrictions may ease, our personal  responsibility in all this doesn’t. 

We have come so far and given so much.  

Getting here – and staying here – relies on the efforts of every Victorian.  

Keep going.

METRO MELBOURNE 

Summary of the Third Step and further easing of restrictions 

Note: Cleaning, signage and record keeping requirements and other COVIDSafe requirements continue to apply for many venues and facilities. A density quotient applies to all  indoor venues and spaces, except for workplaces that are not accessible to the public, private residences, and areas of accommodation facilities that are for the exclusive use  of a single group. 

Newly announced items in purple

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Reasons to leave your  home 

• Stay safe: no restrictions on reasons to leave the house, must  remain within 25km of home (with exceptions, including care for  childminding, end of life, resting place, real estate.)  
• Intrastate travel: no change.  

o Restrictions on travel between metropolitan Melbourne and  regional Victoria will remain in place until metropolitan Melbourne  aligns with regional Victoria on 8 November 

• Face coverings: no change 
• Stay safe: no restrictions on reasons to leave the house • 25km travel restriction removed 
• Intrastate travel: allowed 
• Face coverings: no change 
  

Gatherings of people • Home: to be advised 

• Public places: up to 10 people may gather outdoors from any  

number of households, or more than 10 if all from the same  

household (children under 12 months of age not included in the  

limit) 

• Home: to be advised • Public places: no change 
  

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Indoor sport and  recreation 

• Indoor sport and recreation: not allowed 
• Indoor fitness and dance classes: Open only for recording and  broadcast permitted only with minimum number of people  required to conduct the recording/streaming, up to 5 people: 

o only one person at a time may be exempted from wearing a  face covering under the strenuous physical exercise exemption.  e.g. the trainer leading the broadcast 

o shared equipment may be used if cleaned between each user  and comply with density and other requirements 

• Indoor swimming pools: Open for one-on-one hydrotherapy  sessions with a health professional, carer or support person. No  group sessions. Exceptions for private pools and professional sport 
• Indoor Physical Recreation: 

o Non-contact physical recreation for those aged 18 years and  under (e.g. dance classes) maximum of 20 people 

o Non-contact physical recreation means that the activity can  be done with a distance of 1.5m  

o Spectators limited to one parent, guardian or carer only, where  the child requires parental supervision 

• Indoor Community Sport: 

o Non-contact sport for those aged 18 years and under  

o Non-contact sport means a sport capable of being done with  a distance of 1.5m, including recreational classes  

o Spectators limited to one parent, guardian or carer only, where  the child requires parental supervision 

• Indoor (non-contact) fitness, including indoor gyms  to resume with: 

o density quotient of 1 per 8 sqm and patron cap of 10 per space  (max 10 per group/class), cap of 20 per venue 

o Controls such as recommendation to wear face masks, limits  on shared equipment, time between groups and requirement for a  COVID Safe marshal on site.  

• Indoor pools (including swimming classes): open subject to pool  maximum of 20 patrons or density quotient (1 person per 4m2)
  

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Outdoor sport and  recreation including  pools 

• Outdoor physical recreation and personal training:  o A household or up to 10 people in any group (trainer is  additional to group) 
• Outdoor fitness or dance classes: 

o Open for outdoor classes, up to 10 people, trainer not included  in cap 

o Shared equipment may be used if cleaned between each user  and comply with density and other requirements 

• Community sport: 

o Outdoor contact sport allowed for people 18 and under: - Limited to minimum number of people to play and facilitate  the activity (e.g. soccer may be played with two teams of eleven  players and the necessary coaching personnel and umpires) - One spectator per child permissible for supervision purposes 

o Outdoor non-contact sport: allowed for adults and people 18  and under 

- Limited to minimum number of people to play and facilitate  the activity (e.g. cricket may be played with two teams of eleven  players and the necessary coaching personnel and umpires) - Non-contact means participants must be able to maintain  distance of 1.5m 

• Outdoor communal gym equipment: Open, no change 
• Outdoor swimming pools (including swimming lessons): Limited to  the density quotient of the pool itself or 50 per pool, whichever is  smaller, other than for the following exceptions 

o Exclusive use by a single school at any one time for education  purposes  

o Exclusive use for community sport 

• Publicly accessible playgrounds: open, no change • Playcentres: closed, no change 
• Skateparks: outdoor open, indoor closed 
• Trampolining centres: outdoor open, indoor closed 
• Outdoor physical recreation and personal training: no change • Outdoor fitness or dance classes: no change 
• Community sport: no change 
• Outdoor communal gym equipment: no change • Outdoor swimming pools: no change 
• Publicly accessible playgrounds: no change 
• Playcentres: no change 
• Skateparks: no change 
• Trampolining centres: Indoor open for 18 and under with same  requirements as indoor physical recreation
  

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Community facilities    

  

  

• Libraries and toy libraries: open to facilitate collection and return  of books/toys or home delivery, plus: 

o Outdoor activities permitted for up to 10 people plus the  people required to conduct the activity 

• Community venues: closed except for: 

o hosting an essential public support service (10 people); hosting  an essential support group (10 people); hosting a wedding (10  people) or funeral (20 people); or providing an exclusive venue for  a single school at any one time for educational purposes; and 

o activities in an outdoor space, subject to the public gathering  limits (10 people), plus the person required to conduct the activity 

• Libraries and toy libraries: Gathering limit of 20 people maximum  indoors, with no more than 10 in a space, subject to density  quotient 
• Community venues: no change 
  

Childcare facilities • Childcare facilities: open 

• In-home child minding: allowed for all children 

Hospitality • Preparation for opening (staff can enter the premises to prepare  for opening but must not serve customers): customer-facing  

facilities including hospitality, retail and entertainment that  

are reopening may return to work following announcement (26  

October)  

• Food and drink facilities: open for seated indoor and outdoor  

service (both food and/or drink): 

o Maximum 10 people per group, seated 1.5m from other groups 

• For indoor space: open with a cap of 10 persons per indoor space,  

with a maximum of 20 patrons per venue indoors, subject to  

density requirements (1 per 4m2) 

• For outdoor space: Open with cap of 50 patrons per venue  

outdoors subject to density requirements (1 per 2m2) 

o Live music permitted outdoors only with band included in  

venue limit, members must be at least two metres apart, wear a  

face mask (except limited exemptions). Other requirements apply 

• Hospitality in arenas/racetracks: hospitality venues in other  

sectors such as sports arenas are subject to the same restrictions  

as other hospitality if open to the public 

• Childcare facilities: no change 
• In-home child minding: no change 
• Food and drink facilities: open for seated indoor and outdoor  service (both food and/or drink): No change to most restrictions 
• Hospitality: 

o Indoor: group and space limit of 10 and seated service, cap of  40 patrons subject to density quotient 

o Outdoor: Increasing to a patron cap of 70 patrons per venue  outdoors subject to the outdoor density quotient 

- Live music no change

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

Hospitality • Food courts: open 

o Indoor seating: a maximum of two people per table, venue  

limited to the lesser of 25 per cent of a venue’s fixed seating  

capacity or a density quotient of one person per eight square  

metres. This would be subject to regular cleaning and taking of  

names 

o Outdoor space: Outdoor areas with a maximum of 50 diners  

per area, group limit of 10, each area separated by 10 metres from  

the next. Maximum of 4 areas (200 people)  

Study • Adult education: learn from home if you can • School: on-site learning for all year levels 

• Grade 6 & Year 12 Graduations: 

o permitted if within the existing grade cohort  

(e.g whole grade six cohort, not individual classes) 

o students and staff only (no parents). Can be broadcast for  

parents 

o COVIDSafe requirements 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

• Food courts: open 
• Adult education: no change 
• School: no change 
  

Shopping, retail and  personal services 

• Preparation for opening – staff can enter the premises to prepare  for opening: customer-facing facilities including hospitality, retail  and entertainment may return from 26 October 
• Hairdressing, beauty and personal care services: open with  requirement that only services where the client can wear a face  covering are permitted (e.g. manicures, pedicures, body waxing,  tattooing) 
• Market stalls: open 
• Auction houses: open 
• Other retail: open 
• Hairdressing, beauty and personal care services: no change • Market stalls: no change 
• Auction houses: no change 
• Other retail: no change
  

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

Entertainment • Preparation for opening – staff can enter the premises to prepare  for opening: customer-facing facilities including hospitality, retail  

and entertainment may return from 26 October 

• Indoor venues: Theatre, cinema, auditorium, gallery, museum,  

arena, stadium, open for broadcast only 

• Non-seated outdoor spaces, excluding events: 

o outdoor spaces open with density quotient; indoor spaces  

closed 

o requirement for COVIDSafe Plan and venues with 500 or more  

capacity at one time must publish their COVID Safe Plan online  

prior to opening 

• Seated outdoor spaces with fixed or allocated seated spaces/ 

zones: 

• Outdoor spaces open: 

o Maximum 10 people per group, groups must be 1.5m apart  

from each other and seated 

o If fixed seating: patron cap of 50 people or 25% of the venue’s  

fixed seat capacity, whichever is lower 

o If no fixed seating but allocated seated spaces/zones: density  

quotient and maximum of 50 patrons at the venue 

• Drive-in cinemas: outdoor space open, no seating outside vehicles  

permitted  

• Arenas and stadiums: can operate for exclusive use by a single  

school at any one time for education purposes, for professional  

sport or broadcast 

• Retail betting venue: 

o If wholly contained within a licensed premise: open, subject to  

licensed venue and retail restrictions 

o If not wholly contained within a licensed premise: open subject  

to retail restrictions 

• Arcade, amusement park, escape room, casino, gaming machine  

area, bingo centre, brothels, sex on premises venues: no change 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

• Indoor venues: no change 
• Outdoor entertainment venues: no change 
• Seated outdoor spaces: no change 
• Drive-in cinemas: no change 
• Arenas and stadiums: no change 
• Retail betting venue: no change 
• Arcade, amusement park, escape room, casino, gaming machine  area, bingo centre, brothels, sex on premises venues: no change 
• Electronic gaming can return when Melbourne aligns with regional  Victoria on 8 November 2020 
• Venues may open gaming rooms to 25% of indoor hospitality  patron cap – i.e. 10 of the max 40 subject to density quotient

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Ceremonies and  religious gatherings 

• Indoor religious gatherings: Allowed for up to 10 people, plus one  faith leader 

o Strict requirements to be contained in a COVIDSafe Plan 

o Can only have one gathering at a time whether indoor or  outdoor 

• Outdoor religious gatherings and ceremonies: up to 20 people,  plus 1 faith leader, proximate to a place of worship 

o Can only have one gathering at a time whether indoor or  outdoor 

• Private worship: allowed for a household, and two adults and any  of their children or dependents, plus a faith leader 
• Weddings: up to 10 people, including couple and two witnesses,  celebrant and one photographer excluded from cap 
• Funerals: up to 20 people, people to conduct funeral and infants  under 12 months not included in cap 
• Indoor religious gatherings: Allowed for up to 20 people, plus one  faith leader 

o Strict requirements to be contained in a COVIDSafe Plan 

o Can only have one gathering at a time whether indoor or  outdoor 

• Outdoor religious gatherings and ceremonies: up to 50 people, plus  1 faith leader, proximate to a place of worship 

o Can only have one gathering at a time whether indoor or  outdoor 

• Private worship: no change 
• Weddings: no change 
• Funerals:  

o Indoors: no change 

o Outdoors only: up to 50 people, infants under 12 months and  people to conduct funeral not included in cap 

Real estate services • Real estate inspections: allowed in accordance with record  keeping requirements and density quotients, up to a maximum of  

10 people from two households excluding the real estate agent 

• Real estate auctions: can be conducted outdoors and in  

accordance with up to 10 members of the public, plus the minimum  

number of people required to conduct the auction and the owners  

and/or residents of the property 

• Real estate inspections: increase limit to 10 people from any  number of households, subject to density quotient and COVIDSafe  requirements

Category THIRD STEP MELBOURNE 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 

METROPOLITAN MELBOURNE CHANGES FURTHER EASING  (TO ALIGN WITH REGIONAL VICTORIA) 

11:59pm Sunday 8 November 

Accommodation • Accommodation: no change • Accommodation: open, but each group booking is restricted to: o Only members of a single household; OR  

o Only intimate partners; OR 

o Only members of a single household and two adults and any of  

their dependent children or dependents 

• Members of separately booked groups do not share bedrooms at  

the facility. 

Tourism (tours and  transport) 

• Indoor spaces: closed 
• Outdoor spaces: open, but each group restricted to up 10 people,  plus the minimum number of people required to conduct the tour 
• Tour transport: permitted in open air vehicles, for groups of up to  10 people, plus the minimum number of people required to conduct  the tour 
• Outdoor spaces: tour vehicles that supports the primary outdoor  offering of the tourism facility, for trips of up to 30 minutes 
• Smaller vehicles: private gathering limit of a household plus 2  people and their dependents 
• Larger vehicles: up to 10 people, infants under 12 months not  included in cap 
  

Industry • Work: work from home if you can 

• COVIDSafe Plan: no change 
• Poultry processing facilities: no change 
• Abattoirs and meat processing facilities: no change 
• Seafood processing facilities: no change 
• Manufacturing, wholesale, medical, pharmaceutical and PPE  

supply: 100% workforce capacity. Other additional obligations  

remain in place 

• Construction: 100% workforce capacity. Site visit limit on specialist  

contractors removed. Other additional obligations remain in place 

• Work: no change.  
• COVIDSafe Plan: no change 
• Poultry processing facilities: no change 
• Abattoirs and meat processing facilities: no change • Seafood processing facilities: no change 
• Manufacturing, wholesale, medical, pharmaceutical and PPE  supply: no change 
• Construction: no change