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Premier Daniel Andrews has announced regional Victoria is on track to ease coronavirus restrictions in a matter of days as cases across the state continue to plummet. 

Victoria marked its ninth day in a row of double digit figures on Saturday with just 37 new coronavirus cases - its lowest daily increase since June 26. 

The promising decline in cases comes after Victoria saw 43 new cases on Friday, 51 on Thursday and 76 on Wednesday. 

The state also reported six additional fatalities, taking the state death toll to 716 and the national figure to 803. 

Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update.

He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be 'essentially open'.   

'Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday. 

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced regional Victoria is on track to ease coronavirus restrictions in a matter of days

Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update. Pictured: Health workers conduct COVID-19 tests in Ballarat on August 21

'That is proof positive to every single Victorian that we can drive these numbers down and we can open up and do it safely.

'I want to congratulate and thank every single regional Victorian for the part they are playing on that.' 

Mr Andrews said the 14-day new case average dropped to 61.6 in metropolitan Melbourne and 4.3 in regional Victoria. 

'It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered,' the premier said.

'Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.' 

The premier also announced some changes to his roadmap out of lockdown. 

When Melbourne enters their second step on September 29, pet groomers will be able to provide contactless service to their animals. 

'Pet owners will be able to drop off their pets to the venue,' he said.  

Following further consideration, Mr Andrews said beauty and personal services where a mask can be worn the whole time will be allowed to proceed in the step three alongside hairdressers. 

This could be as early as October 26. 

But beauty services where a mask can't be worn - such as facials, face tattoos and face piercings - will not be included under the changes.  

Duty and personal services were previously listed to open up in Melbourne under the last step of the roadmap.   

Pictured: Two women wear face masks as they walk in Ballarat, Victoria, on August 21

Despite the promising decline in infections, Mr Andrews stood by his draconian curfew in Melbourne. 

Under Stage Four restrictions, the premier suggested there was only two things Melburnians would want to do after 8pm - to go for a run or go shopping.

But Mr Andrews suggested they could be done before the curfew and that supermarkets had been shutting earlier than normal throughout the pandemic.  

'If you have got a work permit, curfew doesn't apply. If you need urgent care, curfew doesn't apply,' he said. 

'If you want to go for a jog at midnight, sorry, you can't. If you want to go shopping at midnight, sorry, you can't,' he said.  

The premier suggested further announcements would be made about roadmap restrictions throughout the week ahead.

He remains hopeful Christmas will be as normal possible.  

Victoria has recorded 37 new coronavirus cases and six deaths. Pictured: Melburnians exercise on Friday

It comes as Paul Little, the chairman of the state government's own COVID-19 Advisory Group, said the state's coronavirus restrictions created 'unintended consequences'. 

'Most of the industry and community contacts I have spoken to recently agree that using a 'blunt tool' of minimising social interaction throughout Victoria has created many unintended consequences,' he told AFR Weekend.

Mr Little's role involves supplying 'real time intelligence from key community and business sectors' to the government's strategic decision makers.  

He warned small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 lockdown.

'Currently within Victoria, the small to medium enterprises (SME) sector is under severe pressure and many of these businesses will not resume operations when lifting of restrictions occurs as per the road map,' he said. 

Mr Little said the announcement of Victoria's roadmap last Sunday meant the government needed to urgently address high risk COVID-19 transmission areas, while identifying and relaxing rules in lower risk locations.  

A man and a woman go for a walk during lockdown in Williamstown in Melbourne on Friday

Top QC Michael Wyles has also questioned the validity of the coronavirus curfew imposed on Melbourne by Mrl Andrews.

Mr Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of the city's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law.

'There is no legal basis for the curfew,' he told The Australian.

Legislation allows health officials to make emergency orders to protect the public but Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has revealed he did not seek the curfew.

Premier Andrews instead said the restriction had been 'about enforcement'.

Mr Wyles' pointed out the potential flaw in the curfew as assisting law enforcement was not a valid reason to enact emergency health orders.

'It is invalid and everyone can ignore it because the direction is not, according to what Sutton said yesterday, for the purpose of eliminating or reducing the risk of COVID,' Mr Wyles said.  

Pictured: People in face masks are seen walking through Melbourne's CBD on Wednesday

The number of fresh diagnoses on Saturday continued good news as the state moves closer to easing restrictions on travel and lifestyle, but Melbourne expects to see more anti-lockdown protest action on Saturday.

Regional Victoria could move out of restrictions as early as next week, Premier Daniel Andrews indicated.

Michael Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law

'We are poised to be able to take not just one but potentially two steps as early as next week,' he said.

To progress to the third step of its recovery plan, regional Victoria must have a daily case average of five or less across 14 days and record no cases with an unknown source.

Melburnians remain subject to a lockdown curfew between 8pm and 5am, with Mr Andrews standing strong in the face of federal government criticism.

The Melbourne Freedom Walk is scheduled for Saturday on the edge of Melbourne's Botanical Gardens, according to social media. There may also be protests in other locations.

It is unknown how many people are expected to participate, given the original event was taken down earlier in the week by Facebook.

An anti-lockdown rally was held at the Shrine of Remembrance last weekend resulting in 17 arrests and more than 160 fines being issued for breaching health directions.

The city's fortnightly average for daily infections must fall to 50 or lower before some workplaces and schools can reopen from September 28.