[Edited and compiled from public addresses, supplemented Wednesday 28/10]
Topics
- VIC | State of Emergency Update
- VIC | GRANTS | Hospitality Business Grant Program
- VIC | PAUSING | Evictions Ban Extended and Extra Renter Protections introduced (residential and commercial) | until 31 December 2020
- AUST | Coronavirus hotline
- AUST | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way
- Acknowledgment to Sources
- Bye bye to Essentialists
- Self-Isolators, Non-Essentials And The Homebound
1. VIC | State of Emergency Update
Metropolitan Melbourne
From 11:59pm on Sunday 18 October, these are the important changes to understand if you live in metropolitan Melbourne:- You can travel up to 25 km from your home for shopping, exercise or for outdoor social gatherings.
- 10 people from a maximum of 2 households can meet outdoors for a social gathering in a public place like a park. You cannot travel further than 25 km.
- There is no time limit on how long you can exercise or socialise outdoors.
- Hairdressing is open and permitted allied health services are fully open.
- More outdoor work can resume. This includes non-essential outdoor home maintenance and repairs, house painters, car washing, mobile pet groomers, outdoor photography and pool cleaners.
- Real estate auctions can resume with a cap of 10 people.
- Outdoor pools can have up to 30 people (with density quotient).
- Tennis, golf and skate parks can open at outdoor facilities.
- The 25-kilometre limit remains in place to limit the virus’s ability to travel.
- [supplemented 28/10] Melbournians are allowed home visits. Maximum of two adult visitors per house, per day, plus their dependent children, Households will be restricted to one visiting event per day, meaning those who receive visitors cannot also visit someone else that day.
- The border between regional Victoria and Melbourne will also remain in place. Work permits will still be required for workers from Melbourne travelling into regional Victoria – and vice versa.
- Under the Third Step, Melbourne’s cafes, restaurants and pubs can reopen. Outdoors with a limit of up to 50, indoors up to 20. Density limits, record keeping and COVIDSafe Plans also apply.
- Remaining retail will also open. Beauty and personal care services can resume. And for those businesses who need to get ready for their reopening – staff will be able to attend onsite straight away.
- Outdoor contact sport for those aged 18 and under will also begin again – so too can non-contact sport for adults. PT, fitness and dance classes can also be held outdoors with up to ten people, and the number of people at outdoor pools can increase to 50, subject to density limits.
- Libraries and community venues will be able to open for outdoor events.
- Outdoor entertainment venues can also begin hosting visitors.
- Faith communities will be able to meet for outdoor religious ceremonies with up to 20 people, in addition to those required for the service. Indoor services can be held with up to 10.
- Weddings will increase to ten people, and funerals up to 20.
- Workplaces will no longer need to be on the permitted work list to open and the ability to work will change to “if you can work from home you must work from home”.
Regional Victoria
From 11:59pm on Sunday 18 October, there were some changes to restrictions in regional Victoria.These are the important changes to understand if you live in regional Victoria:
- You are allowed to have two people (plus dependants) visit your home, once a day. They do not have to be from the same household. The household bubble no longer exists.
- You can have up to 20 people at an outdoor religious gathering.
- At hospitality venues, you can have up to 70 people outside (1 person per 2 square metres) and up to 40 people inside (10 people maximum per closed space, 1 person per 4 square metres)
- Libraries and toy libraries are open to up to 20 people.
- indoor gyms and fitness spaces will be able to open for up to 20 people, with a maximum of ten per space and a density of one person per 8 square metres.
- Indoor pools will open to 20.
- Indoor sport will begin for those 18 and under.
- Food courts can open.
- Live music can resume as part of outdoor hospitality.
- School graduations can be held within school communities.
- And for religious celebrations, 20 people can gather together indoors with their faith leader – or 50 outdoors.
Masks and testing
You are still required to wear a face mask whenever you leave home, covering your nose and mouth. You cannot wear a face covering such as a scarf, bandana or face shield.
If you have any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), please get tested immediately and isolate at home until you receive your results. There is support available for people who cannot go to work while they isolate at home.
Read the 18/10 Victorian Premier's statement.
Read the 26/10 Victorian Premier's statement.
For more details on what is allowed under these restrictions, visit www.vic.gov.au/roadmap
2. VIC | GRANTS | Hospitality Business Grant Program
This Business Victoria program supports food service businesses that have been affected by the return to Stage 3 and Stage 4 ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria. Eligible businesses will be provided with one-off, $25,000 grants to pay for business costs to support the continued operation of their business. An additional $5,000 is available for each additional premises, capped at a total of $20,000.Find out more and apply
3. VIC | PAUSING | Evictions Ban Extended and Extra Renter Protections introduced (residential and commercial) | until 31 December 2020
The Victorian Government will extend a ban on evictions and rental increases until the end of the year, increase assistance and ensure tenant turnover is taken into account in rental negotiations – giving tenants certainty and security they won’t lose their home or workplace during the pandemic.Under the extension, evictions will continue to be banned for both residential and commercial tenancies until 31 December 2020, except in specific circumstances. Rental increases continue to be banned for the same period.
Read the full 20/8 Victorian Government statement
4. AUST | Coronavirus hotline
- Coronavirus hotline: If you are concerned, call the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398 (24 Hours).
- If you are an NDIS participant you can also call the national hotline on 1800 020 080.
- Information and referrals for people with disability and their supporters about Coronavirus: Contact the Disability Information Helpline on 1800 634 787.
- If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can also call the National Relay Service on 133 677.
- Interpreting service: If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
- Testing locations: Find a testing location near you.
- Call-to-Test-at-Home service, providing in-home coronavirus testing to Victorians who would otherwise be unable to get tested, call the DHHS Coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
- Triple Zero: Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.
5. AUST | Helpers and Reliable Sources Along the Way
- Access Easy English – Over 70 resources developed on coronavirus.
- AUSLAN – Updates by Expression Australia - Regular Auslan only videos on updates of breaking news in Victoria, Australia and abroad.
- Australian Government Department of Health – Coronavirus advice for people with disability
- Australian Government Department of Social Services – Daily update on NDIS participants and workforce and easy English information on COVID-19.
- Beyond Blue – translated information on managing your mental health during COVID-19 in 63 languages.
- Blind Citizens Australia – Information on coronavirus for people who are blind or vision impaired.
- Council for Intellectual Disability (CID) – Easy English information for people with intellectual disability and videos about COVID-19.
- DHHS – Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services advice and information on coronavirus available in 56 languages
- Ethnolink Language Services – Multi-lingual resource library with information available on coronavirus in 71 languages.
- GP Expert Advice Matters – a website for patients translated into Arabic, simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Hindi and Vietnamese, and has practical information on how to access a local GP, telehealth and interpreter services
- Health Translations – A comprehensive place to find current COVID 19 multilingual information in 78 languages including Auslan and Easy English.
- MyAus Covid-19 app – Multilingual resource application produced by Migration Council Australia (MCA) for Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse communities about COVID - 19, it's impact and available support.
- National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) – Information about changes to how the NDIS work during the COVID -19 pandemic in 12 languages.
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission – Information contains links to updates, training, alerts, and resources for NDIS participants and providers.
- Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) – promoting The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line (OPCSL) within ethno-specific communities.
- Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre – Victoria’s statewide first response service for women, young people and children experiencing family violence.
- SBS – news and information about coronavirus (COVID - 19) available in 63 languages.
- Scope – Key word sign video, posters and easy english resources on communicating COVID-19.
- Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE) – Free support, referral and information for all Victorian women, nonbinary and gender-diverse people.
6. Acknowledgment to Sources
This is a consolidated account of information current at time of issuance, sourced, collated and provided by Victorian Jewish Community COVID-19 Taskforce, Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria, Buddhist Council of Victoria, various Government Authorities, community organisations and public domain, received with gratitude.
Best wishes for skilful collaborations, less Suffering, causes for less Suffering, Good Health and Time to Enjoy it.
7. Bye bye to Essentialists
Thankyou for responding to the crisis as best you can to keep us ticking along and keeping us safe, received with gratitude. Us non-essentialists will endeavour to manage our expection of miracles and do our best to follow rules and stay out of the way. Contact your closest friendly non-essentialist if you need anything that can be done remotely. Bye bye to Essentialists for now, please leave to attend to the essential work. That is all from GEIFN's caretaker at this time.
8. Self-Isolators, Non-Essentials And The Homebound
Let us cheer on the global scientists, medical fraternity, authorities and essentialists racing across the clock separately and together in new found ways, to find a cure, manage the situation, and if not, create mass-producable innoculation.
Meanwhile, if with a surplus of time, this and the following is offered. Discuss with sincerity. Deny untruth. Dismiss unuseful. Accept useful. Adapt to change. Adopt least effort most benefit. Adept with sharing. Enjoy throughout. As each case may be. Round. And again. Or not.