Melbourne bars to reopen from Wednesday

Bars in Australian city Melbourne will be allowed to reopen on Wednesday after almost four months of lockdown.

Bars in Melbourne will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday 28 October

Victoria state was the epicentre of Australia’s second wave of Covid-19 cases. Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, was ordered into lockdown along with the rest of the state, with citizens told to stay home, travel options limited, and stores, restaurants and bars ordered to close.

However, today (26 October), authorities said Melbourne was ready to reopen from 11.59pm tomorrow (27 October) after no new Covid-19 cases were reported for the first time since 9 June.

From Wednesday 28 October, Melbourne will move from ‘stay home’ to ‘stay safe’ and restrictions on reasons to leave home will be removed.

All bars, cafés, restaurants and retailers will be allowed to reopen, with a 20-person limit indoors and 50 outdoors.

The 25km travel limit will remain in place until 8 November, but if case numbers remain down this will be lifted and on-trade venues could be allowed to host bigger groups.

Among the bars planning to reopen on Wednesday are all four of Speakeasy Group’s Melbourne venues: Eau-de-vie, Boilermaker House, Mjølner and Nick & Nora’s. All four bars will be open from 5pm until late.

Daniel Andrews MP, Victoria’s premier, said: “We want to reach ‘Covid normal’ by Christmas and right now, we’re on track to do that. It’s why we’ve got to keep going – all of us.

“Understanding that even though restrictions may ease, our personal responsibility in all this doesn’t. We have come so far and given so much. Getting here – and staying here – relies on the efforts of every Victorian. Keep going.”