Social gatherings

Seeing friends and family outside

Can I see friends and family outside?  

Under current restrictions, you can gather with up to 10 people in a public place. Masks are required to be carried at all times, and must be worn indoors and outdoors unless an exception applies.

Is there a limit on the number of people I can exercise with? 

Group exercise classes indoors and outdoors are allowed with a limit of 10 people. You can exercise with up to nine other people in a single group. There are no time limits on exercise.  

What is a “public outdoor place”?  

A public outdoor place is an area accessible by members of the public like a park or the beach. It does not include your backyard at home.

Having visitors to your home 

How many visitors can I have to my house? 

You cannot have visitors to your home.

Your intimate partner or nominated person if you are in a single social bubble can visit you at your home.   

Will there be bubbles for people living alone? 

Yes. If you live alone or are a single parent with a child or caring for someone with a disability, you can create a ‘single social bubble’ by nominating one other person to be a part of your bubble. 

You can have the person you form a bubble with visit your home. Your nominated person can be from a household or share house, and you are also able to visit them in their home, but only when they are alone.  

If the nominated person has a child or dependant, or cares for someone with a disability who cannot be left unattended, and there is no one else to care for them, the child or dependant can attend a visit.  

The nominated person must remain the same for the duration of the restrictions.

A face mask is strongly recommended for all interactions within the ‘single social bubble’. 

The single social bubble concept is a way to support people who may be feeling isolated while balancing the COVID-19 transmission risk. 

Can tradespeople come into my home? 

Yes, they can if they are providing a necessary service. 

The service provider must be wearing a face mask, unless an exception applies. If you need help at home and you have someone come in, try to keep their time in your home to a minimum. 

If possible, remove yourself from the room where the service provider is working.  You should seek to maintain at least 1.5 metres between you and the service provider where possible.   

When a service provider comes to your home, minimise physical contact by paying with a direct bank transfer or contactless payment if possible.  

Can a cleaner come into my home? 

No, unless you are not able to clean your own home and the service becomes necessary. If a cleaner comes to your home, you should ensure physical distancing by keeping 1.5 metres between you and the service provider.  The service provider must wear a face mask, unless an exception applies.   

My friend, relative or parent is elderly – can I visit them? 

You can visit an elderly parent or friend to provide care and support if they have particular needs due to their age, infirmity, disability, illness, or a chronic health condition, or because of matters relating to their health (including mental health).  

You should wear a face mask, maintain at least 1.5 metres distance, and wash your hands regularly while visiting.  

You should not make social visits to elderly parents or friends at this time, unless they form part of your ‘single social bubble.’ 

If you are delivering meals, think about leaving a package on their doorstep without making physical contact. If you are doing cleaning, chores or other housework, have them sit somewhere comfortable away from you while you work, so you are not in close contact.  

If they are more vulnerable to serious complications from COVID-19, you should carefully consider whether there are other ways you can stay connected – including video calls, phone calls or with social media. 

Can I visit an elderly parent or friend?

Private gatherings in the home are not permitted, but you can visit a private residence to provide caregiving.

Caregiving includes care for sick or elderly relatives, and people who might have particular needs because of their age, infirmity, disability, illness, a chronic health condition or because of matters relating to their health (such as mental health or pregnancy).

If your elderly parent or friend resides in an aged care facility or healthcare setting, you must follow the visitor requirements of that facility. See Visiting care facilities or Visiting hospitals.

Elderly people are especially vulnerable to COVID-19, so it is important that you take extra steps to keep them safe. You must wear a face mask (unless a lawful exception applies), should maintain physical distancing, and should wash or sanitise your hands regularly while visiting including before you arrive and leave. 

If you are delivering meals, think about leaving a package on their doorstep without making physical contact. If you are doing cleaning chores or other housework, have them sit somewhere comfortable away from you while you work, so you are not in close contact. 

Make sure they are feeling well and ask them if they have enough of their regular medications whenever you visit. Even though you must wear a face mask, you should still keep at least 1.5 metres distance between yourself and others wherever possible. You should wash your hands often. 

Single Social Bubble 

Who can be in my ‘single social bubble’? 

A single person living alone, or a single parent with dependent children under 18 years or caring for a person with a disability or illness over the age of 18, can nominate whomever they choose to be in their ‘single social bubble’. You cannot nominate an entire household – it must be one person. 

If the nominated person has children or dependants who cannot be left unattended, and there is no one else to care for them, the children can attend a visit. 

If the nominated person lives with other adults, the single person can only visit the nominated person when they are the only adult in their home. 

For example, this means if a single person nominates one of their parents, they can only visit the parental home if it’s just the nominated parent at home.   

Otherwise, the nominated person needs to come to the single person’s home to visit. 

How can I keep myself and my bubble safe? 

If you have a ‘single social bubble’, it’s even more important you take extra steps to keep each other safe. 

Only include someone in your ‘single social bubble’ if you and any children or dependents are safe and healthy. If anyone within your bubble feels unwell, they should immediately get tested and isolate at home. You should not visit that person or have that person over to visit if anyone in the bubble is unwell.  

It is strongly recommended that a face mask is worn during visits. 

To protect the health of the nominated person in your bubble you should agree how many people you will spend time with outside the home. The more people you interact with, even outside the home, the higher the risk of COVID-19 transmission. You must not have any other friends or family visit your home.  

My nominated single bubble person has children. Can they come to my house? 

Yes, if the person you nominated to form a ‘single social bubble’ with you has children under the age of 18 or is caring for someone with a disability over the age of 18 then they can also visit your home.   

If you have young children or dependants who can’t be left alone then they can go with you when you visit the person you form a bubble with. 

I am a single parent, caring for someone with a disability over the age of 18. Can I still have a bubble? 

Yes, you can still form a ‘single social bubble’, but you should consider if this will put the person you are caring for at risk. Professional respite care for people with complex needs is allowed. 

I’m a carer of an adult with a disability. Can I form a social bubble with someone?  

Yes. If you are caring for a person with a disability over the age of 18 you can form a social bubble with one other person.  

I live alone but have a partner. Can I form a ‘single social bubble’ with a family member or friend and still see my partner? 

No, people must choose whether they wish to see their intimate partner or form a ‘single social bubble’ with another nominated person. 

I’m single but live with family or in a share house. Will I still be able to have a bubble outside my household? 

You can only nominate a person to be a part of your ‘single social bubble’ if you live alone or are a single parent or carer of a person over age of 18 with a disability. You may however be someone else’s nominated person - even if you live with other people. 

For example, Kim lives with Jacob and Viet. As Kim does not live alone, she cannot have her own ‘single social bubble’. But her friend Michael, who does live alone, can nominate Kim to be a part of his bubble. 

If you live with other adults, your nominated person can only visit you in your home if you are the only adult present (excluding any adults you care for with a disability).  

How many times a day can I leave home to see the nominated person in my ‘single social bubble’? Can they stay overnight? 

There are no restrictions on the number of times you can see the person in your ‘single social bubble’.

Seeing a friend in your bubble does not have a time restriction.

You can stay overnight with the friend in your ‘single social bubble’. It is recommended that you minimise the number of times you leave your home for this reason. 

Does the bubble have to be the same person, or could you choose one other person per week/fortnight? 

The person you choose to form a ‘single social bubble’ with needs to be the same person throughout the restrictions. 

Will I need a permit to visit my bubble? 

You do not need a permit or proof of your ‘single social bubble’. We are asking Victorians to do the right thing, even though it is hard to stay away from friends and family  

My friend, relative or parent is elderly. Can I have them as my ‘single social bubble’ person? 

Yes, but only one adult can be nominated. Consider the vulnerability of the person in your bubble and limit your interactions with others outside of your bubble when your person is an elderly friend, relative or parent. 

If you are more vulnerable to serious complications because of COVID-19, you should carefully consider whether there are other ways you can stay connected – including video calls, phone calls or social media. 

Do I have to wear a face mask when visiting my bubble? 

When visiting someone in your ‘single social bubble’ inside the home it is strongly recommended you wear a face mask. 

A face mask means: a fitted face mask that covers the nose and mouth to provide the wearer protection against infection.  A face shield on its own does not meet the requirement to wear a facemask.  

Seeing your partner 

My partner and I live separately from one another. Can we still see each other? 

Partners living separately can visit each other at home. 

If you are visiting your partner, you should be aware that by visiting other houses you increase the risk of spreading COVID-19. 

Children and family 

We have children in a shared custody arrangement. How does this affect them? 

All shared custody arrangements, whether informal or court-ordered can continue as normal. 

You can leave the house to take children from one parent or guardian’s home to the other parent or guardian’s home.

Can I get a child-minder to come to my home or take my children to someone’s house to have them minded? 

Yes.  You may maintain existing arrangements for in-home child minding. These arrangements can be paid or unpaid. 

Only the minimum number of people necessary may enter the house at any one time for the purposes of providing in-home child minding. They should wear a face mask unless an exception applies.  

People in at-risk cohorts, such as grandparents or elderly relatives, are strongly advised not to participate in in-home child-minding arrangements and should limit their movements as much as possible. 

Can I drop my children at childcare? 

Yes. Childcare is open. 

Visiting people

Can I visit people in nursing homes or care facilities?

For information on visiting people in nursing homes or care facilities, visit Visiting care facilities.

Can I visit people in hospital? 

For information on visiting people in hospitals visit Visiting hospitals.

Can I visit people in prisons? 

For information on personal visits to prisons visit the Corrections Victoria website. 

Fines, enforcement and reporting

Find information about the enforcement of COVID-19 directions in Victoria, the fines for non-compliance and how to report a breach.