Grants of up to $ 4,500 and a new round of travel vouchers are part of a support package to promote the recovery of tourism in the Victoria area.

Victoria now has 87 active coronavirus cases, with four more locally acquired cases announced on Sunday, including two related to elderly care.

Another six cases acquired abroad were identified in hotel quarantine.

While restrictions in the Victoria area have been eased, Melbourne remains locked and travel restrictions have hit tourism and accommodation companies hard.

Another 80,000 regional travel vouchers, valued at $ 200 each, will be released at a cost of $ 6 million to help operators affected by the current restrictions recover.

The regional tourism support package of 32.2 million announced by the incumbent Prime Minister James Merlino.

The package also provides $ 11.8 million to support eligible Victorian tourism businesses with grants for the current business expense support program. This means that all eligible Victoria Tourism Companies will receive a payment of $ 7,000 under the program.

“Efforts to combat this outbreak are challenging us all – and we know this is a significant pause in the steady recovery of our tourism sector, particularly in the Victoria area,” said Merlino.

“We’ve supported the business with announcements over the past seven days, and today we’re showing regional tourism companies and their employees that we understand the pressures they’re facing.”

The governments of Victoria and New South Wales have also been under pressure to swiftly resolve a border blockade that currently applies the “four reasons to leave” rule to all visitors, despite the loosening of the regional blockade.

Mr Merlino said authorities hope to “cautiously relax” restrictions in Melbourne on Friday and further relax restrictions in the Victoria area.