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25.01.2022 This is a shoutout to all our hard-working scientists and clinicians. Working behind the scenes. Undertaking research. Uncovering answers. Victorian researche...rs aren't just fighting this virus in our state, or our country. They're helping lead our effort right across the globe. That's why I'm so proud we've invested close to $15 million to back 17 projects dedicated to fighting coronavirus. These projects are pushing towards the next big breakthrough. Antibodies to block the virus. Antivirals to treat the virus. The latest in evidence and understanding on how we can beat this thing. Finding treatments and prevention measures for this wildly infectious virus is certainly no easy task. But it's happening right here in our state. And for that, we can't say thank you enough.

22.01.2022 Details of easing restrictions from 22 June. For the Premiers statement, go to: www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-from-the-premier-42/

20.01.2022 Good news. From Monday 15 June, VicRoads will start running licence tests again. Couple of points on this: If your test was cancelled, VicRoads will get in touc...h to give you first priority to re-book. That's only fair. We're opening six temporary licensing sites and hiring more than 200 new staff to get through the backlog as quickly as possible. Once that's cleared, new appointments will be made available. And we're introducing extra cleaning and hygiene measures to make sure there's minimal risk for everyone involved. I know this has been frustrating for a lot of people. For mums and dads, kids who had that special birthday and anyone who has been working towards their licence and had to face an uncertain wait. But I just wanted to thank you for your patience while we get everything back up and running safely.

20.01.2022 This is a message to the thousands of Victorian students returning to remote learning today. I know this isn't how you expected your school year to turn out. ...But the way you've adapted to change and rolled with the challenges is nothing short of remarkable. To all our students from our very youngest, to those in their final year: I'm so proud of you. Keep working hard. You've got this. Dan.

19.01.2022 Dan the Man giving us his best

19.01.2022 Father Bob's message of hope to Premier Dan Andrews

18.01.2022 From this morning, we’ll start delivering one of these activity boxes to every child in the nine restricted public housing towers. It's full of books and puzzle...s. Crayons. Lego. Ideas for exercising at home. Herb and flower seeds and a special egg carton to grow them in. No one wants to be in this situation especially kids with lots of energy. But we'll do whatever we can to make it that little bit easier.

17.01.2022 The Sole Trader Support Fund is now open as part of the Victorian Government’s $3 billion Business Resilience Package. The program will provide vital funding gr...ants of $3,000 to eligible Victorian non-employing businesses that must stay closed or operate under restrictions until COVID Normal. While many sole traders receive income support via the Commonwealth’s JobKeeper program, overhead costs associated with operating a commercial premises such as rent or utilities continue to mount. This support is targeted to sole traders who continue to incur these overheads while their operations remain subject to restrictions. The Sole Trader Support Fund will be open for applications until funds are exhausted or 11.59 pm on 23 November 2020, whichever is earlier. For guidelines or to apply for the Sole Trader Support Fund, visit: https://bit.ly/2FejlfE

15.01.2022 Putting on and taking off PPE isn't easy. It's a long and complex process. It's hot and dehydrating to wear, and it can leave pressure marks all over the skin t...oo. For our already tired healthcare workers finishing up lengthy and difficult shifts - it's just plain exhausting. But every layer is there to protect them from this wildly infectious virus. So to help keep our doctors and nurses as safe as possible, we'll be deploying dedicated PPE spotters in Victorian hospitals. These specialised staff will be an extra pair of eyes for healthcare workers - spotting the tiniest of gaps in PPE application. And it's these same tiny gaps that this infectious virus wants to take advantage of - and we want to stop. Every single one of our healthcare workers deserves to feel safe and supported at work. And we must do our best to keep them safe.

14.01.2022 I've got some important dates for VCE and VCAL students and everybody supporting them. Getting back to the classroom next week means we can get exams done and... dusted earlier than we initially thought and results out sooner. This is a big year, no question. But know that whatever happens, I'm so very proud of every single one of you. Good luck. Study hard. You've got this.

12.01.2022 Bit of a long one but bear with me. I want to make sure everyone has all the details about what's happening over the next few days. First up, thanks to every ...single one of the 161,000 Victorians who went and got themselves tested. You've given us a formidable amount of health data that allows us to make informed decisions and move forward with much more certainty. Massive shout out also to the pathologists, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, medical scientists and lab technicians who collected and processed all the tests and who stood out in cold carparks for hours on end. It's a pretty thankless task that usually happens behind the scenes, but these legends just got on and got the job done. And I want to thank each and every Victorian. No one is pretending the past few weeks and months have been easy least of all me. But the only reason we're not currently facing a situation like those we’ve seen overseas is because of you. Because you stayed home. Stayed apart. And stayed safe. Now we're in a position where we can make a few changes. Slowly and carefully because the very last thing we want is to ease restrictions too quickly and have to shut everything down again. That's what's happened in other countries. We don't want it to happen here. So here's what we're going to do. From 11.59pm on Tuesday, there will be a fifth reason to leave home: visiting friends and family. I know people will be excited to see their loved ones in real life. FaceTime does the job, but it's not quite the same. I get that. But I just want to stress this is not about having a different group of mates round every night to get on the beers. It's not time to turbo-charge the social calendar or race around catching up with every single person you know. We're asking Victorians to limit their circle to just family and friends. That means that when we do get cases of the virus, we can test and trace and effectively contain the spread. And remember you should only spend time together if it's safe. For our family, that means I won't see my Mum for a little while. She's in her 70s and I wouldn't want to put her at risk. We’re also able to make some changes when it comes to some of the most significant gatherings in any of our lives. Weddings will now be able to have ten guests, and up to 20 people will be able to attend funerals held indoors and up to 30 if they’re outdoors. More of the outdoor recreational activities that so many Victorians have been missing will also be allowed: walking groups, fishing, hiking and yes, even a game of golf. These activities will be subject to physical distancing to help keep people safe. I'm sure people will have more questions on this one all the details are in the comments. Everything else remains in place for now. We've set 31 May as the date for review and at that point we'll make a call on whether we can relax things further or if we need to stay put. Hopefully we won’t have to bring back firmer restrictions. With more freedom, of course, comes more responsibility. It's up to each and every one of us to maintain the hard-won gains we've earned these past weeks. It's up to all of us to use our judgement. And it's up to all of us to remember that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should. We still need to keep our distance as much as we can. Let's use care and consideration and let's not throw it all away for a party or a BBQ. We've come so far. Let’s keep going.

11.01.2022 A week can sometimes feel like a year at the moment, but here's something worth remembering: In just over a month we've gone from over 700 daily cases to 70. T...hat's a massive effort, and one Victorians should rightly be proud of. Today we announced our plan for a new COVID Normal and the steps we'll need to take to get there. These steps are not about locking down. They're about locking in a new normal. Finding ways to safely do some more of the things we love. I've said this a bunch of times recently but this has to be slow, steady and most importantly, sustainable. To open up faster and further when the numbers are still at this level would almost guarantee a third wave. There is absolutely no point in enjoying a couple of weeks of fun only to have cases explode again and end up right back where we started. Or worse. It makes no sense and it's just not worth it. I'm sure most Victorians would agree with that. This is about moving forward, safely stepping down our restrictions while continuing to step up our fight against this virus. We've given up far too much and worked far too hard to risk throwing it all away now. We all have to somehow find that extra gear, that extra reserve, to dig deep and keep going. Now to the important part: What it means for all of us. On 14 September, metro Melbourne will move to the First Step toward COVID Normal and regional Victoria will move directly to the Second Step. As part of these steps we'll be introducing 'social bubbles', meaning single people who live alone and solo parents can nominate one person to visit them in their home. I'm very conscious these past few months have been particularly isolating for people who live on their own and hopefully this makes the coming weeks that little bit easier. In the First Step, you'll also be able to meet up with one other person outside for up to two hours at the park, for example and you don't necessarily have to be exercising. Melbourne will enter the Second Step towards COVID Normal once we've driven the numbers down to between 30-50 daily cases over a 14 day average and not before 28 September. It'll look slightly different to the regional version, and we'll still be asking people in Melbourne to stay local but the principles are roughly the same. I'll put links out to more detailed information about what this means for socialising, businesses, schools and childcare, sport and travel in the comments. The case number targets for moving to the next step are listed too, so everyone can be on the same page about our goals and where we're headed. These aren't just dates on the calendar. Based on health advice, we'll have to maintain a certain number of low cases for a certain number of days before we can move forward. I'm sure people will have lots of questions. None of us have a crystal ball, so asking "Will I be able to go ten-pin bowling with 10 friends for my birthday on 10 November?" is a bit premature. But I'll do my best to clarify whatever I can over the coming days. Some people will no doubt want this to be done quicker. And believe me, if we could we would. But we would be doing ourselves a massive disservice if we put all our hard-won gains at risk and every sacrifice counted for nothing. It just wouldn't be right. We've come so far. We just have to keep going. We can. We must. We will.

11.01.2022 When school goes back this week, it'll look a little different. Schools will provide everything our kids need to study remotely but there's always room for ex...tra learning . That's why we're doing this. We're teaming up with ABC Australia to massively expand the educational programming on offer and to bring the classroom into the living room (or dinner table or kitchen). More than 4,000 videos, resources and games will be available on the ABC website that match up with the Victorian curriculum. Educational shows for primary and secondary students will run throughout the day, as well as mini-lessons led by teachers. Nothing will ever replace our incredible teachers and the work they do. But we're making sure every Victorian student has access to as many learning opportunities as possible. BYO chair and bear.

10.01.2022 To be honest, I never thought I'd find myself asking people to not go to work. I was elected to create jobs not keep workers at home. It goes against everythi...ng I believe, and it's one of the hardest things I've ever done as Premier. But if we want to stop this thing spreading I know we simply don't have a choice. Last night the Chief Health Officer's directions for business closures came into effect. And today we announced stronger guidelines for those that are still operating albeit with a reduced workforce, stricter guidelines and response plans in place. We're working with businesses, we're listening to feedback, and we're making changes where we can to ease the transition. I know that this process hasn't been simple or easy for anyone. Deciding what to do with millions of jobs, and millions of workers, was never going to be clear cut. But what is clear is that the sooner we slow the spread and drive these numbers down the quicker things can get back to some degree of 'normal'. Going to work isn't just about paying the bills it's security, stability and the chance to build your own future. And today, many Victorians will be wondering what that future holds for them. But know that even if you're at home you still have an important job to do. Staying inside, wearing a mask, protecting your community and our state. We've made sacrifices we never imagined making. We've paid a price we never thought we'd have to pay. But this isn't forever. And as hard as today may be we will see this through.

10.01.2022 Big news for families with little ones: We're providing grants to start new out-of-hours care programs at up to 400 government schools giving parents and care...rs more options when it comes to work, study, training or reentering the workforce. We're also covering the cost of funded kinder in sessional and long day care which means it will be free for families in 2021. I know this pandemic has been tough on parents particularly mums who have had to juggle work, childcare and learning from home. And that balancing act doesn't always get easier even with kids back at kinder and school. But this is one less thing for families to worry about.

09.01.2022 Tonight, four police officers lost their lives in the line of duty. And tonight, somewhere in our city, four families’ hearts are breaking. Our hearts are break...ing with them. We grieve alongside them just as we grieve with every member of Victoria Police and every member of our emergency services family. In the coming days, formal investigations will tell us why how this could have possibly happened. But one thing is already clear: Though we may not yet know their names we will always call them heroes.

08.01.2022 There's a trick to successfully speaking to a room full of people about to break fast for the first time all day. Keep it short and sweet. And it's no different... when you're doing it over Zoom like Muslim community leaders, Ros Spence MP and I did last week. Muslim Victorians have given so much to our state in sport, business, education and more. We want to support them too and encourage future leaders in our community. That's why we're helping the Bachar Houli Foundation open up another 30 mentorships to young Muslim men and women. I know Eid al-Fitr celebrations looked a little different yesterday, just as the month of Ramadan did but they weren't any less special. So to every Victorian celebrating, from my family to yours: Eid Mubarak.

06.01.2022 Every day we get closer to a COVID Normal. Numbers are falling. Restrictions will start slowly easing. And eventually, we'll be back to work and school back t...o restaurants, cafes and pubs. That's coming and we will get there. But we have to see businesses through these next few weeks and months as we start to slowly and safely reopen. That's why today we announced almost $3 billion worth of support for small and medium-sized businesses, and the hospitality sector. It's the biggest single package we've ever delivered of this kind, and it'll go a long way to helping thousands of Victorian businesses save jobs and see this through. Almost $1.1 billion in cash grants will support small and medium-sized businesses that are most affected by coronavirus restrictions. $250 million will go towards Victoria's pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants and over $130 million will help reduce stamp duty, landfill levies, liquor license fees, land taxes and much more. And because families didn't get to see much snow this year, we're giving our alpine resorts the support they need too with grants of up to $20,000 to cover their resort fees while tourism's down. But we know one of the biggest costs for small businesses is simply paying wages and keeping people employed. That's why $1.7 billion will go towards extending our payroll tax deferral for the entire 2020-21 financial year. But above all, this support package will give thousands of Victorians the certainty they deserve, and it'll mean a little less stress too. Because these businesses employ Victorians. They feed families, they support communities. We don't just want them to scrape through this we need them to prosper on the other side too. The roadmap gives us certainty about reopening. This support gives businesses certainty as we take those steps. Safely. Steadily. And most importantly sustainably.

05.01.2022 I’m really excited to share that more jobs will be created in Mildura as part of our commitment to expanding the state’s medicinal cannabis sector with a $1.97 ...million grant to Cann Group. We’re investing in Cann Group’s plans for a cannabis cultivation and processing facility, which would be the first of its size and kind in Australia, with capacity to grow up to 70,000 kilograms of dried flower in a fully contained secure location. The project is now underway and has already supported jobs for 133 locals during construction, with more new full-time equivalent jobs to be created upon completion. It's expected to create $191 million for the Mildura region when finished, aligning directly with the Victorian Government’s Medical Cannabis Industry Development Strategy to supply half of Australia’s medicinal cannabis by 2028. This is a hugely promising sector, and backing projects like this puts Victoria at the forefront of medicine and the creation of a new local industry.

02.01.2022 Hi everyone. Bit of good news for your Sunday morning. Because of our high rates of testing and our low levels of community transmission, we're now able to pla...n for the coming weeks and getting back to a few more of the things everyone's been missing. From 11.59pm on 31 May, we'll be increasing gathering limits to 20 people and allowing overnight stays. That means you can sleep over at a mate's or rent somewhere for a weekend away. And more community facilities and businesses will be able to reopen including places like libraries, community centres, beauty therapy and tattoo studios. As with everything, these changes come with strict rules around distancing, density and hygiene. The contact details of customers and people using the facilities will also need to be recorded to allow tracing. I'm sure people will have questions about why X is allowed if you can't do Y but this really isn't an exercise in 'whataboutery'. We've had to make some tough calls. We can't just open the floodgates on everything all at once, and risk throwing away all our hard work. I hope people appreciate this point. We have to be cautious and careful. Then, if it all goes to plan and we're tracking okay with case numbers, we'll be able to make some more changes a bit later in the month. From 11.59pm on 21 June, that would include reopening gyms, indoor sports facilities, movie theatres and the snow season will be able to kick off. And finally, a message to all our employers out there. I really need your help on this one. I appreciate this isn't possible for all workplaces. But if your staff are able to work from home, and have been doing so we need to keep that going. We simply can't have thousands of people on trains and trams let alone the logistical challenges of communal kitchens, lifts and big office buildings. I know I've said this before, but as we all have more choices and more options, it's even more important: Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should race out and do it. We've come so far and it's up to all of us to make this work.

01.01.2022 Coronavirus doesn't have a language barrier and that means we can't afford to either. Last week, I caught up with journalists from Victoria's multicultural me...dia outlets. They're helping make sure that everyone in our diverse community knows how to play their part, slow the spread and keep everyone safe. It's a big job and I can't thank you enough.

01.01.2022 Here's a list of places in Victoria you should travel to this Easter: