Authorities are warning Victorians to brace for a "significant increase" in Omicron COVID-19 cases, but are going ahead with relaxing some of the state's mandatory vaccination rules.
From 11.59pm on Wednesday, shoppers will no longer need to prove they are vaccinated to visit non-essential retail outlets.
Mandatory vaccination rules for weddings, funerals and real estate inspections and auctions will also be scrapped, as will showing proof of vaccination for those aged 18 and under.
However, hair and beauty customers must still be fully vaccinated, as do all patrons of restaurants, bars and cafes, including weddings and funerals held at hospitality venues.
Mask mandates will also continue in all retail settings and for hospitality workers, but will not be required at weddings and funerals.
Deep cleaning rules will be scrapped for workplaces, tour and transport operators, gyms, theatres and cinemas , while elective surgeries will rise to 75 per cent capacity in regional areas.
The changes, part of new pandemic orders signed by Health Minister Martin Foley on Wednesday, will remain in place until January 12.
"Those tweaks are of course informed largely by the relative uncertainty that the Omicron variant brings, as we start to learn more about what that means," Mr Foley told reporters in Melbourne.
Victoria recorded 1405 new cases and a further three deaths on Wednesday, with another four Omicron cases taking the state's total to 10.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned the state will see a "significant increase" in Omicron infections, as he pointed to New South Wales' case spike and widespread infections in Europe.
The Peel Hotel in Collingwood, Victoria. Source: AAP
"The story globally is it is doubling every two-to-three days. It is replacing the Delta variant," he said.
"There's good evidence, and it's getting stronger by the day, that having had your booster shot will protect you even more from serious illness."
He said 720,000 Victorians are currently eligible for a booster, after the interval was moved from six to five months from the second jab.
Overall, Professor Sutton said 330,000 people who are eligible for a vaccine had not yet received a first dose.
"Our behavioural surveys tell us that maybe 150,000 of those are determined not to get a vaccine," he said.
Those remaining had not "gotten around to it or are ambivalent".
There are 365 people in hospital, 84 of whom are in intensive care and 46 on ventilators.
Professor Sutton said 73 per cent of those in hospital were not fully vaccinated and that number grew to 91 per cent of those in ICU.
It comes as more than 700 Victorians are being sent into isolation after attending two Melbourne nightclubs on Friday night.
A positive Omicron case visited Sircuit Bar in Fitzroy between 9pm and midnight and Collingwood's The Peel Hotel from 11.30pm to 3am.
About 410 people were at Sircuit and 320 were at the Peel during those times, with all deemed close contacts.
They must get a PCR test immediately and isolate at home for seven days if fully vaccinated, or 14 if not.
Queensland records six new cases
Queensland has recorded six new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19, with two being treated as the Omicron variant.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says the six cases emerged after 12,336 tests in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Wednesday.
The new cases are in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Wide Bay, Goondiwindi and Townsville.
Two of those cases are being treated as the Omicron variant because both people have visited the NSW city of Newcastle in the last week.
One is man who visited the Argyle House nightclub in Newcastle, which is an exposure site, while another was in the city before flying to Brisbane and then onto Townsville on Monday.
"We are certainly treating them as if they are Omicron," Ms D'Ath told reporters on Wednesday.
The minister said most passengers who were with the man on Virgin Airlines flight 1105 from Newcastle to Brisbane then on flight 375 from Brisbane to Townsville on Monday afternoon would be reclassified as casual contacts.
They had initially been classified as close contacts, putting them at risk of being in quarantine over Christmas.
But Ms D'Ath said that decision was just a precaution and most people would be reclassified later on Wednesday.
"We don't need to wait until we get the findings of whether it's Omicron because if it is we still will apply these rules," she said.
"That means that other than those people who will be directly advised they are close contacts because they were either part of the travelling party or sitting immediately around this individual.
"The remainder of the passengers will be deemed to be casual contacts."
Meanwhile, a number of people in the southern Queensland border town of Goondiwindi could also be ordered into 14 days' isolation after a known case visited three venues.
The gaming lounges at both the O'Shea's Royal Hotel and the Victoria Hotel have been listed as close contact exposure sites for Monday afternoon, along with McDonald's Goondiwindi on the Cunningham Highway for Tuesday morning.
Queensland has also reclassified one virus case in hotel quarantine as Omicron on Wednesday.
