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Changes to mask wearing will come into place from midnight tonight.
From tomorrow masks will be allowed to be removed outdoors for the consumption of alcohol.
In regional schools, students in Grade 3 and above will be required to wear masks indoors at school. For Preps to Grade 2s mask wearing will be strongly recommended but not mandatory.
Royal Children's Hospital Pediatrician Jane Munro said it was backed by good science, is simple and safe.
"In the next month over one million Victorian children are going to return to over 30,000 classrooms.
"We need to get our kids back to school and keep them at school.
"Masking is a vital safe step.
"We've actually already recognised the importance of mask wearing for children in reducing transmission of COVID."
She said it's like the 'no hat, no play' policy and cited how eight per cent of children contracted COVID-19 in the United Kingdom within the first few weeks of school returning.
"We need to do all the things that are safe and reasonable to reduce the risk of kids catching COVID and spreading COVID."
There were 113 new COVID-19 cases in regional Victoria, making up six per cent of new cases.
Those include 18 new cases in Geelong which are mostly linked, 10 in Ballarat, 13 in Greater Shepparton and seven in Moorabool.
There was no mention of new south-west cases by the Victorian Chief Health Officer on Friday.
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There are more than 26,000 Pfizer, 5500 AstraZeneca and 21,000 Moderna vaccination appointments available across the state.
In Victoria 85 per cent of the over 16 population has now received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Professor Sutton praised the vaccine efforts, particularly in Corangamite Shire which is at above 95 per cent first dose vaccinations.
There are 620 Victorians in hospital, with 114 in intensive care and 76 on a ventilator.
Of the people in hospital, 66 per cent are unvaccinated.
New Victorian homeowner fund
On Friday the state government announced a $500 million-dollar Victorian Homebuyer Fund expected to help more than 3000 Victorians become homeowners.
It means people will only need five per cent of a house deposit to buy a property under the arrangement, Treasurer Tim Pallas said.
"We know property is getting more expensive and it's a source of concern and often, quite frankly, desperation for some people who feel that their dream is being denied them that they can't get into homeownership," he said. "Particularly for those who are young, who are starting out in life, and looking to find a home for a family that they're making."
Under the new scheme, they no longer need to be first home buyers, can buy in a broader range of locations and can have higher household incomes than compared to the earlier pilot.
The VHF is available to Australian citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18 years, who currently don't have an interest in a property and who meet the income thresholds.
Eligible participants only require a five per cent deposit and the Government provides up to 25 per cent of the purchase price, in exchange for an equivalent share in the property.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander homebuyers can buy with a deposit as low as 3.5 per cent and receive a government contribution of up to 35 per cent, in exchange for an equivalent share in the property.
Homeowners can buy out the government's share at market value over time if they choose, with funds then reinvested to help other aspiring homebuyers get into the property market.
Eligible participants can purchase in any location in Metropolitan Melbourne and are provided with a broad range of regional options when searching for their home.
The value of the property cannot exceed $950,000 in Metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, while the price cap in Regional Victoria excluding Geelong is $600,000.
Victorian Homebuyer Fund participants are still eligible for other Victorian Government housing schemes, including the First Home Owner Grant and first home buyer stamp duty concessions or exemptions.
For further information, visit vic.gov.au/homebuyer
PREVIOUSLY
Victoria has reported a record 1838 cases of COVID-19 and five deaths.
In the 24 hours to midnight yesterday 36,600 vaccines were administered and 77,554 tests received.
Yesterday Victoria recorded 1638 new cases of COVID and two deaths.
Once 70 per cent of the state's population above 16 is fully vaccinated, expected around October 26, Melbourne's curfew will ease, the travel limit will be expanded and venues can open outdoors to the fully vaccinated.
But Victorians will have to wait until the 80 per cent double-dose target for significant changes, forecast for November 5.
NSW will reopen on Monday after the state hit 70 per cent double dose vaccination this week. Yesterday Premier Dominic Perrottet announced further easing of restrictions to come into place on Monday.
- with AAP
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