Restrictions to ease across Victoria as state nears 90pc vaccination milestone

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a wide-ranging easing of Covid-19 restrictions across the Australian state as it expects to reach a 90 percent major vaccination milestone this weekend.

From 11:59pm tonight there will no longer be density limits at hospitality venues, restrictions of home visits will be removed, and masks will no longer be required in most settings.

"You will be able to go back to normal," Andrews said.

"You will have the normalcy you have missed."

"This is a safe delivery of the national plan, I am not only proud of Victorians but also deeply grateful."

Masks will still be required in health facilities, public transport, retail settings, and in primary schools.

Events with fewer than 30,000 people can go ahead without an approved Covid-19-safe plan, but larger events like the Boxing Day Test and the Australian Open would need an approved plan.

Both of those major summer cricket and tennis events will proceed at full capacity.

Victoria is on track to have 90 per cent of its population 12 and over fully vaccinated on Saturday or Sunday, Mr Andrews said.

The Premier called the milestone an "amazing achievement".

Major changes to quarantine obligations

From tonight, self-quarantine requirements for COVID-19 cases and close contacts will be significantly eased.

Under the new settings:

Positive cases will now have to isolate for 10 days instead of 14

There will no longer be contact tracing related to positive cases and exposure sites will not be published

Household close contacts will have to isolate for seven days if fully vaccinated and 14 days if not vaccinated

Non-household close contacts will only have to isolate until they get a negative test result

Cases will have to notify their workplace, school or childcare about a positive result

The government said the new requirements are based on modelling from the Burnet Institute and international experience.

The changes coming into effect tonight also mark an extension of Victoria's so-called "vaccinated economy".

Non-essential retail will only be open to those who are fully vaccinated, children under 12, and those with a valid exemption.

Those non-essential retail businesses were previously open to people who were not vaccinated.

Indoor and outdoor events, along with major sporting events like the Boxing Day Test will require attendees to show proof of vaccination.

Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said urged those who had chosen not to be vaccinated to rethink their stance.

"I know that me saying you should is not going to make any difference to those people who haven't been vaccinated," he said.

"Talk to your family, make an appointment with your GP, have a chat to your immunisation nurse, pop down to your pharmacy and have a chat, these are the people you trust with your health across the board.

Victoria recorded 1007 new cases, with another 12 deaths reported overnight.

There are now 13,814 active cases of the virus in Victoria, and 445 people have died during the current Delta outbreak.

There are 337 people in hospital, of whom 63 are in intensive care, and 34 are on a ventilator.

The health department said a further 65 people were in intensive care but their infections were no longer considered active.

Hospitalisations are continuing to drop down from last month's peak, reaching their lowest levels since late September.

Victoria has now fully vaccinated 88 per cent of its population aged 12 and over.

Meanwhile, New South Wales recorded 262 new cases today, with another three deaths reported overnight. There are currently 199 cases in hospital.

The ACT recorded 25 new local cases, with three people in hospital, including one person in ICU who required ventilation. There are currently 191 active cases of COVID-19 in the territory.

-ABC