MELBOURNE residents looking to escape tough COVID-19 restrictions and travel to regional Victoria will face a “ring of steel” around the city, the government has warned.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be able to serve people outside with strict density quotas, while outdoor gathering limits will be upped to 10 in regional Victoria from Thursday.
Regional Victorians will also be able to leave their homes without restriction and all shops can reopen under the third of a four-step easing of restrictions before the COVID-normal phase.
Melbourne residents remain on the first step, including a curfew and tight restrictions around travel and shopping, as the Premier vowed to “beef up” patrols and checkpoints out of metropolitan Melbourne.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner, Regional Operations Rick Nugent said on Wednesday there was risk that easing of restrictions combined with school holidays would result in more people travelling to regional and rural areas from metropolitan Melbourne.
As a result, he said, tighter controls would be implemented by police, while a new offence of failing to comply with requirements to remain in a restricted area would attract a $4957 fine.
“We will be highly visible and active to prevent people from entering the regional and rural areas, particularly during the school holidays,” Mr Nugent said.
“We do not want regional and rural communities to be put at risk by Melbourne metropolitan people.
“Victoria Police will be strengthening its enforcement activities, particularly at the borders, but also in the regional and rural areas.”
Mr Nugent said a practice of feeding vehicles through checkpoints would also be strengthened, which would add to traffic delays.
He said there will be more pop-up and random checks on back roads and an increased police presence at bus and rail depots, including at regional and rural locations.
Caravan parks and camping grounds, state and national parks, pubs and clubs and restaurants and bars would also come under a police focus.
“I have asked that local police in all the regional and rural towns, to protect their local community … be very active in ensuring that they are the protectors of their community,” Mr Nugent said.
“Their community don’t want people from metropolitan Melbourne travelling … and putting people at risk.”
Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Wednesday that elective surgery would resume across Victoria’s regional public and private hospitals as early as Thursday.
The plan will boost regional Victoria to 75 per cent of usual elective surgery activity from Thursday and 85 per cent from September 28.
Hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne will begin to ramp up to 75 per cent of usual activity from September 28, when they enter the second step of the “roadmap”, and 85 per cent of usual activity when they move to the third step.
All Victorian hospitals will move to 100 per cent of usual activity when the state takes the last step to COVID normal, planned for November 23.
