• Victoria has again revised its travel permit system, downgrading all but one Greater Sydney local government area to an ‘orange’ zone.
• People from across the Greater Sydney region, excluding those in the Cumberland local government area, will be permitted to enter Victoria from 6pm Friday.
• Greater Brisbane and all of regional NSW, excluding Wollongong and the Blue Mountains area, were placed on the ‘green’ zone list.
• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

Scores more Victorians will be allowed to return home from Sydney after the Victorian government downgraded all but one of the city’s local government areas to ‘orange’ travel permit zones.

Speaking to reporters in Melbourne, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today said the local government areas of Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality will be removed from the ‘red’ zone list at 6pm Friday.

The change means that people within those regions will be allowed to apply for a Victorian travel permit, as long as they haven’t been in a designated ‘red’ zone within the past 14 days.

They must also submit to COVID-19 testing within 72 hours of entering Victoria, and will be required to self-isolate upon arrival and until they receive a negative test result.

“That will be great news, I know, for people who are wanting to come home,” Andrews said.

The Cumberland local government area will remain a ‘red’ zone.

The continuing ‘red’ zone means anyone who has been within the Cumberland local government area within the past 14 days is barred from entering Victoria, unless they have received an official exemption.

Andrews also announced changed for the classification of areas in regional NSW and the Greater Brisbane region.

All of regional NSW and the broader Brisbane area will flip from ‘orange’ to ‘green’ at 6pm Friday, with the exception of the Wollongong and Blue Mountain regions.

Folks travelling into Victoria from ‘green’ zones will require a permit, but are not required to undergo COVID-19 testing upon entry.

“That is a very significant step,” Andrews added.

“It’s based on public health advice and will be welcome news, I’m sure, for many, many people who want to get home and have had a summer that has been somewhat disrupted, and in some cases more than that.”

During the same press conference, Andrews confirmed restrictions on private gatherings will also be eased.

From 11:59pm Friday, Victorians will be permitted to welcome 30 people in their homes, up from the previous limit of 15.

The changes come on Victoria’s sixteenth consecutive day without a new case of coronavirus within the community, and the fifth day of zero community transmission in NSW.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.