COVID-19 restrictions: small home visits allowed, cafes and restaurants to reopen

Update: In the latest easing of restrictions, beauty and personal care services like nail salons, spas and tattoo parlours will be allowed to open from Monday, June 1. These services will be allowed to have up to 20 customers per space, and customer contact details will need to be recorded. The Victorian government will also allow indoor fitness and recreation facilities to reopen from June 22, with up to 20 people per space and up to 10 people per group or activity at any one time. Read more here.

The Victorian government will allow cafes, restaurants and pubs to reopen their doors to serve meals to up to 20 customers at a time per enclosed space from June 1. From June 22, this could increase to up to 50 patrons. The number of patrons may increase up to 100 during the second half of July. Read more here.

New changes to COVID-19 restrictions will allow Victorians to have five guests in their home, although restrictions continue for Elsternwick Village businesses.

The changes, which will be effective from 11.59pm on Tuesday, May 12, also allow outdoor gatherings such as recreational and sporting activities up to 10 people.

However, for shopping precincts such as Elsternwick Village, premier Daniel Andrews said restrictions remained in place for businesses like cafes and restaurants, at least until June, when the government would review the restrictions again.

Many eateries in Elsternwick Village have been trading under these restrictions and offering takeaway orders and home delivery. Nearby residents can continue to patronise these local food businesses in this way.

The government wants to wait until June before lifting restrictions on cafes and restaurants to see whether it would be possible to increase the limit beyond 10 patrons at a time.

Feedback from many businesses was that reopening for just 10 patrons at a time would prove difficult to be viable, Mr Andrews said.

The government will wait and see if they can take an even bigger step in June, and potentially increase the limit beyond 10 patrons, so that these businesses have a better chance at viability.

Under the new changes, visiting friends and family – if you really need to – will be added to reasons to leave your home.

Changes to weddings, funerals and religious gatherings were also announced:

• For weddings: up to 10 guests are allowed at weddings, in addition to the couple and celebrant
• For funerals: up to 20 guests will be allowed to attend an indoor ceremony, while up to 30 people will be permitted to attend an outdoor ceremony
• For religious gatherings and ceremonies: up to 10 guests, in addition to the people required to host the gathering.

“I’m asking Victorians to use common sense – you should only spend time together if it’s safe,” premier Andrews said.

“And you should only be undertaking these activities if you really need to.”

View the full range of businesses in Elsternwick Village currently operating, including details of altered trading, here.