Under what Premier Daniel Andrews termed the first “safe, cautious and appropriate step” towards normality, up to 10 people will be able to participate in outdoor activities, provided they practise social distancing.

Travel limits within the state will also be lifted.

While hiking, fishing and golf will be permitted, and some national and state parks will be reopened, overnight stays and camping are not on the cards yet.

Weddings will now be able to have 10 guests, while up to 20 people will be able to attend funerals held indoors and up to 30 if they are held outdoors.

Andrews said while Victorians will be allowed to host up to five visitors in their home from 11:59 pm on Tuesday, the changes will not mean a return to normality.

 “It’s not about having a rotating roster of acquaintances and associates – or your third-best friend from primary school – over for a visit,” he said.

“This is about seeing those you need to, if you need to.”

Andrews said employees who can work from home should continue to do so for the rest of May.

On schools, the premier said his government was close to finalising a plan so that face-to-face learning could resume in Victorian classrooms before the end of Term 2.

“We had for the purposes of certainty said to parents across the state that they should plan and assume that learning from home would continue for the entirety of Term 2,” he said.

“We now believe that a gradual, staged return to face-to-face learning is safe, cautious and appropriate, given the testing we’ve done and the circumstances we face.

“Today’s not the day to announce the details.”

The government has also come to an agreed set of arrangements to allow professional sporting codes, including the AFL, to resume training from Wednesday – with the 10-person rule in place as with the general public.

The changes will expire just before midnight on May 31, when the situation will be revised.

Cafes and restaurants could reopen in June in Victoria after three weeks of a testing blitz.

Anyone with a sniffle is encouraged to get tested in Victoria, with the state hoping to have 50,000 more tests done over the next week.

The new “outbreak unit” within the health department will head to areas suspected to be at risk.

“The unit will include new rapid response outbreak squads, staffed by public health specialists and clinicians to ensure appropriate testing, contact tracing and deep cleaning is carried out as soon as a cluster is identified,” Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said.

“The squads will also make proactive visits to high-risk facilities, businesses and industries, and work with local services on infection control and prevention, while also stepping in to quickly manage any high-risk cases should they occur.”

Mobile testing units will also be sent out to areas suspected at being at risk of a cluster.

Victoria recorded seven new cases of coronavirus overnight, taking the state’s total to 1494.

One of those seven infections was connected to the Cedar Meats Australia outbreak.

Four cases were linked to overseas arrivals in mandatory hotel quarantine.

Two cases were still being investigated.