Health Minister Martin Foley announced a raft of restrictions will ease from 11.59pm on Friday after the state passed the peak of its second Omicron wave.

"The Omicron wave is starting to subside ... that's why we're in the position of being able to take some important steps over the coming days," he told reporters on Wednesday.

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Close contacts of confirmed cases will no longer have to quarantine provided they wear a mask indoors and avoid sensitive settings. They must also return five negative rapid antigen tests over the seven-day period.

Also part of the Minister for Health's changes to pandemic orders, patrons won't be required to have two doses or show their vaccination status before entering any venue.

The requirement for staff and patrons of venues to check-in using the Service Victoria app will end, with operators not required to keep any attendance records or maintain a check-in marshal.

Masks will no longer be required in primary schools, early childhood, hospitality and retail settings, or at events of any size.

All visitor restrictions in hospitals will be removed except for mask requirements, with health services able to tailor their own settings based on their own circumstances.

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International travellers who are symptom-free will be recommended but not required to get a PCR or rapid test on arrival, and unvaccinated travellers will no longer complete seven days' quarantine. Pre-departure tests for unvaccinated air crew will also be lifted.

People will be exempt from testing or quarantine for 12 weeks if they've had COVID-19 - up from eight weeks and individuals will be required to notify their workplace contacts, in addition to informing their social contacts. Workplaces won't have to individually identify and notify each potentially exposed worker.

A number of critical and common-sense settings will be retained, including the essential requirement to isolate for seven days following a COVID-19 diagnosis and existing two-dose and three-dose vaccination mandates for workers.

Visitor restrictions in care facilities will be retained to protect the vulnerable. Residents can currently have up to five visitors per day if each show a negative rapid antigen test result - or two visitors if no test results are provided.

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Face coverings will still be required on public transport and at airports - excluding airport workers who aren't public facing - and in sensitive health, aged care and justice settings. All workplaces will still require a COVIDSafe plan.

Many rules which are no longer required will be recommended, including working from home if you're a close contact exempt from quarantine. Masks are strongly recommended when you can't physically distance.

"This sensible easing of restrictions is only possible because we are one of the most vaccinated societies in the world, with almost 70 per cent of Victorian adults already armed with their third dose," Mr Foley said.

"The vaccinated economy kept Victorians safe and businesses open during an unpredictable time when we saw our highest case numbers ever - but now is the right time to set it aside and focus on the highest risk settings."

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"Many things that are very effective in driving down transmission will remain strongly recommended. That will keep us protected during winter and help us respond to emerging risks."

Business groups have been calling for the seven-day isolation rule for household contacts of confirmed cases to be relaxed to ease ongoing staff shortages.

However, the state government repeatedly flagged it would not move to wind back restrictions until the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant wave began to subside.

The state's new pandemic-specific legislation shifted the power or changing COVID-19 restrictions from Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to Mr Foley.

Premier Daniel Andrews previously flagged the state's vaccinated economy, which includes a two-dose policy for patrons at hospitality venues, could remain in place until 2023.

See more information at coronavirus.vic.gov.au

More to come.

-Australian Associated Press

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