What do stage three restrictions mean for regional Victoria?

Different restrictions have been announced for metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Here's what you need to know:

Regional Victorians will need to stay at home.

There will only be four reasons to leave home:

Don't forget, mask wearing is already mandatory in regional Victoria. So, if you are leaving home for any of the four reasons above, you will need to wear a mask.

You will need to keep washing your hands before you leave and when you return home.

Maintain 1.5 metre distancing between yourself and others.

Stage three restrictions in regional Victoria take effect from 11:59pm on Wednesday.

Schools throughout the state will return to remote and flexible learning, at all year levels, from 11:59pm on Tuesday.

Onsite supervision will be available for students who can't study from home.

Specialist schools will remain open to all children.

Early childhood services can continue to operate in regional Victoria under stage three restrictions, provided they have "appropriate risk-mitigation measures in place".

Restaurants and cafes will return to takeaway and delivery service only.

"Entertainment and cultural venues will need to close," the premier said.

"Beauty and personal services will need to close."

Hairdressers will be able to remain open.

Real estate auctions and inspections will operate remotely. Inspections will be by appointment.

Auction houses will have to operate remotely.

The state government has flagged coming announcements about "extra support" to help businesses and their workers.

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced further restrictions to businesses, but most only apply in metropolitan Melbourne under stage four restrictions.

The exception is abattoirs, which will be subject to the same strict restrictions statewide.

The workforce in meat works will be scaled back to two-thirds.

Workers will have to wear full personal protective equipment and will be subject to routine testing.

Community sport will need to stop.

Play centres and playgrounds will need to close

Indoor sport and recreation will need to stop.

Swimming pools will close.

The government has given the following advice about outdoor sport:

"Only allowed to exercise, or activities such as fishing, golf, boating, tennis, surfing with one other person or household members, provided 1.5-metre distance can be maintained.

Outdoor sporting facilities will also close, "except for facilities where public gathering and physical distancing limits can be adhered to and there is no use of shared equipment or communal facilities."

You can still visit your partner, and you are allowed to leave the house to take children from one parent's house to the other's.

Short answer - no.

"You may no longer have visitors to your home or visit other people in their homes," the Department of Health and Human Services website states.

"We all need to play our part to help slow the spread of coronavirus. By staying at home and limiting contact with other people, we can help protect ourselves, our families and our communities from coronavirus."

Gatherings in public in regional Victoria are limited to up to two people or household members only.

People are allowed to leave home to attend a wedding or a funeral.

A funeral is a permitted reason to enter Melbourne.

Up to 10 people are allowed to attend funerals in regional Victoria, plus those conducting the funeral.

Weddings can consist of up to five people - the couple, two witnesses and a celebrant.

Religious ceremonies and private worship is to be broadcast only.

No travelling through regional Victoria unless it's for one of the four reasons people are able to leave home.

No travel to metropolitan Melbourne for exercise or recreation.

Holiday accommodation and camping is closed except for emergency accommodation, work purposes or residents.

People cannot visit a second place of residence unless there is a reason, like an emergency or maintenance, shared custody, or staying with an intimate partner who does not live with you.

Mitchell Shire moved to stage three restrictions at the same time as metropolitan Melbourne.

It will remain under stage three restrictions, like the rest of regional Victoria, while Melbourne moves to stage four.

At least the next six weeks, according to the premier.

"As always, we'll keep reviewing and realigning the restrictions in line with the advice of our health experts - and if we can change things earlier, we will," the premier said in a statement.

A state of disaster has been declared in Victoria, in addition to the state of emergency.

The state of disaster came into effect at 6pm on Sunday.

"This will give our police additional powers to make sure people are complying with public health directions - more on which we'll have to say in the coming days," the premier said.

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