Some epidemiologists have criticized the decision, warning that it will further endanger the elderly and people with underlying health risks, while increasing the tension in the health system as the winter flu season continues to sting.
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Third-party mandates imposed by the government in the areas of education, food distribution, meat and seafood processing and quarantined accommodation will also be lifted.
With nearly 95 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over receiving two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the rules are being lifted that require general workers to work from home unless they have been doubly vaccinated. Employers can still set their own working conditions.
Foley said the changes were “proportionate and appropriate.” He said Victoria’s pandemic laws required him to receive advice from a variety of sources, including public health experts and businesses.
“And we’ve synthesized all that advice into public health orders.”
On Sunday, Foley also announced that work to expand the emergency department at Royal Children’s Hospital would begin next month.
He said the busiest pediatric emergency department in the state was experiencing more than 300 presentations a day. He said a first phase of expansion was underway to be completed by the end of the year, including a new ward for young patients with various conditions, including cancer.
A second stage will increase the capacity of the emergency service and provide care for 13,140 more children a year.
More to come