Melbourne residents: Melbourne’s freedom celebrations are CRUSHED with residents banned from popping to the pub for a pint at midnight
- Melbourne’s curfew will vanish when lockdown is lifted at 11.59pm on Thursday
- But residents will have to wait until midnight to leave home to travel to a venue
- Covid-19 Commander said curfew will remain from 9pm until end of lockdown
- Hospitality staff will be permitted to travel to work before the curfew finishes
Melbourne‘s lockdown is finally coming to an end but celebrations have been put on hold due to the city’s strict rules.
Victoria’s restrictions will be lifted at 11.59pm on Thursday, allowing for pubs, restaurants and hairdressers to reopen to vaccinated residents.
However, anyone with plans to grab a schooner or a haircut as soon as the clock strikes midnight has had their dreams crushed.
The state’s curfew will be lifted at 11.59pm on Thursday as well, meaning Melburnians will have to wait until the end of lockdown to leave home.
While hospitality venues and hairdressers had scheduled to reopen around the city from midnight on Friday, Melburnians will have to wait until the end of lockdown to leave home (stock image)
Victoria’s Covid-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters on Wednesday that the state’s curfew will remain in place until the end of lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday
Victoria’s Covid-19 Response Commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters on Wednesday there will be no special passes for keen patrons looking to arrive at a venue before the official opening time.
‘The curfew applies until midnight tomorrow night,’ Mr Weimar said.
‘There is no leave pass between 9pm and midnight tomorrow night, so you’ll have to wait for the witching hour to strike and then you can make your way down to the pub.’
When asked whether police would issue fines to people who breach curfew on Thursday night, Mr Weimar said that matter was for Chief Commissioner Shane Patton to decide.
‘The real point for me is around what behaviours we want to encourage. We all want to be able to go and have a drink at midnight tomorrow night or after midnight.’
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When asked whether police would issue fines to people who breach curfew on Thursday night, Mr Weimar said that matter was for Chief Commissioner Shane Patton to decide (Pictured: people seen wearing masks outside Flinders Street Station)
‘We all want to enjoy these new freedoms and I’m sure we all will, but can we all please remember this is one important step,’ Mr Weimar added.
‘It’s not a mass freedom day. It’s not a mass ‘let’s go completely nuts’.’
Mr Weimar further noted that there is still a significant risk, and encouraged people to go out and responsibly enjoy themselves.
Mr Weimar reminded people to enjoy these new freedoms in a responsible way (Pictured: a group having a beer after their meal at the Young and Jacksons pub in Melbourne)
The Covid Commander had also mentioned in the press conference that hospitality workers would not be able to leave their homes until midnight to travel to work.
However, it was later clarified that hospitality staff would be permitted to travel their workplaces before curfew finishes to prepare to reopen to customers/ Melbourne residents
While Mr Weimar said hospitality workers would not be able to leave their homes until midnight to travel to work, this was later clarified to allow staff to travel before curfew finishes (Pictured: A bartender pouring a beer at the Glenferrie Pub)
Under the state’s roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions, pubs and restaurants will open to 20 double vaccinated people indoors and 50 outdoors.
Ten people, including dependents, can visit a home per day, and up to 15 people can gather outdoors in Melbourne.
Under the state’s roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions, pubs and restaurants will open to 20 double vaccinated people indoors and 50 outdoors (Pictured: People seated at their table at a bar)
Hairdressers and personal care can open for up to five double-dosed customers, while weddings and funerals in metropolitan Melbourne can have 20 fully vaccinated people indoors and 50 outdoors.
There will also be no reason to leave home along with the end of curfew, and the travel radius will be lifted.
Travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria will still be restricted as only those with permitted reasons will be able to move between the regions.
There will also be no reason to leave home along with the end of curfew, and the travel radius will be lifted (Pictured: People seen at Albert Park Lake in Melbourne)
