As of 11.59pm on Wednesday, regional Victorians will no longer be locked down as restrictions ease to step three on the roadmap to recovery.
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The new 'step three' restrictions mostly bring North East residents in line with their southern NSW counterparts, though masks remain mandatory in Victoria.
Leaving home
After weeks only being able to leave home for four reasons (work and education, care, essential shopping and exercise) regional Victorians will be able leave the house for any reason.
Under step three, Regional Victorians can also travel anywhere across the state, besides Melbourne.
Socialising
During step three, North East residents can have visitors to their home, but only in very specific circumstances.
Residents are only allowed five visitors to their home and the visitors must all be from the same household.
In addition, those visitors are the only ones allowed for the entire step.
For example, if you choose to have the Smith family over to your house, you cannot have a different family over the next week, and the Smiths cannot visit anyone else. This is a social bubble and the bubble restrictions also apply to families not in the same household.
For example, if you visit your parents, they become your bubble and they cannot have anyone else over, including any other children.
Open for business
Residents can socialise with people not in their bubble when outside, with gatherings of up to ten people allowed outdoors, irrespective of household.
People can also meet with friends and family who are not in their household bubble at cafes or restaurants.
Given strict social distancing and cleaning requirements it is believed hospitality venues will be safer than people meeting at home.
A maximum of 20 people will be allowed to dine inside venues and 50 people will be able to dine outdoors, depending on the size of the venue. Group bookings of 10 people and under will be allowed. TAB venues will also reopen.
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Retail businesses can reopen, as can hairdressers and beauty services where face masks can be worn for the duration of the service.
While in real estate, private inspections and outdoor auctions will be allowed.
Accommodation venues can reopen, with bubble caps, as can outdoor entertainment venues if they have pre-approved plans.
Sport, schools and gyms
Children under 18 years old can now participate in outdoor contact and non-contact sports.
But only non-contact sport is permitted for adults with gathering and density limits in place.
Outdoor skateparks will reopen and outdoor fitness groups can have up to 10 people. Gyms can not reopen.
Childcare will reopen while regional Victorian students will return to onsite leaning in term four.
Ten people are allowed at weddings or outdoor religious services and 20 at funerals.
What's next?
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed the NSW-Victorian border restrictions will be eased to make it easier on border residents.
She said once the changes come into force, anything allowed under step three of Victoria will be allowed on the border.
"Now restrictions have been eased in regional Victoria, we are similarly doing that for our border communities to have consistency," she said.
"So whatever you can do in regional Victoria you can do in those [border] communities."
Ms Berejiklian said the amended public health orders were with the health minister and would be signed this week, with changes to be implemented next week.
What exactly the change will allow border residents to do is yet to be explained.