THE State Government is facing pressure to continue to ease restrictions in regional Victoria.

Deputy opposition leader and regional Victoria shadow minister, Peter Walsh has called on the State Government to fast-track the lifting of restrictions in regional Victoria, after the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed there were just three active COVID-19 cases outside Melbourne this week.

Mr Walsh said the government needed to introduce similar restrictions as New South Wales to ensure regional Victoria wasn’t kept in an “unnecessary” lockdown while waiting for cases to drop in Melbourne.

“Regional Victoria's 14-day average is at 0.3 but unfairly harsh restrictions are still strangling the life out of small business and country communities,” he said.  

“Our dance schools and gyms are closed, school students are spending more time out of the classroom and cafés, restaurants and pubs are struggling to make ends meet under unworkably low capacity limits.

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