In addition to the third dose ruling, further visitor restrictions will be applied to hospitals and aged care settings — reflecting the vulnerable nature of patients and residents in these facilities.
Residents at aged care centres will continue to be permitted up to five visitors per day, but visitors must return a negative RAT result before entering.
If no RATs are available at the facility, residents will be permitted no more than two visitors.
Visitors in hospitals must have received two doses of the vaccine or must return a negative RAT result before entering.
Adult visitors who are not fully vaccinated must wear an N95 mask during their visit.
Standard face masks continue to be mandated for children aged eight and above.
While test requirements upon arrival remain unchanged, fully vaccinated international arrivals will no longer need to get a second PCR or RAT five to seven days after their arrival.
This change is in line with the decision of National Cabinet last week and recognises the high levels of COVID-19 transmission in the community.
To ensure Victorians can continue to access essential food supplies, workers in the manufacturing, distribution or packaging of food and beverages including retail supermarket workers may be exempted from close contact isolation requirements in order to attend work from 11.59pm Wednesday, January 12, if it is necessary for continuity of operations and other options have been exhausted.
To mitigate risks, exempted workers must be asymptomatic, undertake daily RATs for five days and return a negative result prior to attending work.
They can’t enter shared break areas, and employers are asked to facilitate solo break time.
In addition, face coverings must be worn, using N95/P2 respirators if possible. Both the worker and workplace must consent to the worker’s return.
This new close contact isolation exemption for asymptomatic food distribution workers is similar to the arrangements already in place for critical healthcare workers.