THE easing of COVID-19 restrictions in regional Victoria this week will be a test case for the future handling of restrictions, the Victorian Government says.
The warning comes as COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said Melbourne residents should stay out of regional Victoria following revelations that a COVID-positive case travelled to Mildura last week.
Mr Weimar said there were “some indications” that the positive case in Mildura visited the region to get vaccinated as well as to visit family.
While that case remained the only active case in the Mildura municipality, it did result in a tier 2 exposure site at Dan Murphy’s between 3pm and 3.35pm last Friday.
Anyone who visited the Fifteenth Street outlet between those times should get tested urgently and isolate until they have a confirmed negative result.
Mr Weimar said there had been reports of Melburnians travelling to regional Victoria for vaccinations.
“We have heard reports, anecdotal and some evidence reports, of people from Melbourne going to regional Victoria to get COVID-vaccinated,” he said.
“There are some indications that the positive case in Mildura may have gone to get vaccinated while visiting family at the same time.
“That is not the behaviour we want to see.
“You cannot go to regional Victoria for a vaccination or to get a test – now that we’ve eased restrictions in regional Victoria it makes it very clear you cannot.”
Mr Weimar said how all residents behaved over coming days and weeks would help to determine “where this pandemic goes through to the end of the year”.
“If we don’t see huge spot fires in regional Victoria, that will give us confidence and open up more options going forward and that’s all the work we need to do over the days ahead,” he said.
Wentworth Shire residents will enjoy some new freedoms from Saturday with an easing of restrictions in regional settings where there has been no COVID cases for at least 14 days.
The shire will continue to operate under restrictions, however stay-at-home orders have lifted, including allowing up to five visitors in a home (not including children 12 and under) and up to 20 people can gather in outdoor settings.
Most venues, including hospitality, retail stores and gyms, can reopen with density limits.
Masks remain mandatory for all indoor public venues, including front-of-house hospitality, retail and business premises, however only hospitality staff will be required to wear masks when outdoors.
