Photo: GettyRegional Victorians are awaking to their first few hours under eased Covid-19 rules, with locked-down Melburnians looking on with hope and envy. Victoria Police have increased cordons - a "ring of steel" - on Melbourne's outskirts to crack down on regional travel, with rules wound back overnight. Under the regional travel crackdown, Victorian adults who leave a restricted area without a lawful excuse will be handed a $4957 fine. The new offence comes into effect from Thursday and is designed to deter Melburnians from entering regional Victoria. Meanwhile, elective surgeries will ramp up to 75 percent capacity in regional Victoria from Wednesday.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 16, 2020 17:37 UTC