Victoria's Chief Health Officer says people must expect to continue wearing protective masks long after stage four restrictions ease.
The state on Saturday recorded a second consecutive day of fresh coronavirus cases below 200, prompting Professor Sutton to predict numbers could dip below 150 next week.
The state's death toll continues to climb, with 13 more deaths bringing the total to 398 and national count to 485.
Among the 182 fresh diagnoses were 30 new "mystery" cases with no known source.
Prof Sutton said such cases are on a downward trend which is promising, but restrictions won't be lifted in full until community transmission is eradicated.
Premier Daniel Andrews, who has long talked of Victorians needing to adjust to a new "Covid normal", said masks will remain part of life for a long time, along with careful hand-washing and physical distancing.
There are 4293 active cases documented in the state. More than 600 of those are in hospital with 22 of 36 people in intensive care requiring ventilation.
Ten of the latest deaths are linked to aged care, where there are cases at 129 facilities.
Prof Sutton said dozens of these facilities had only a single case, and so swift control measures should stop infections spreading.
The 10 most infected aged care sites have between 100 and 200 active cases each.
There are new cases linked to known outbreaks at Royal Melbourne Hospital's Royal Park campus and AusFresh Broadmeadows.
Investigations are under way into cases linked to Dandenong Hospital, Warringa Park Specialist School in Hoppers Crossing and Cabrini Hospital in Malvern.
Melbourne residents still have about another three weeks of stage four restrictions ahead of them before they are revised on September 13.
Regional Victorians are under slightly less onerous level three restrictions for the same period.
Hearings for state's inquiry into the failed hotel quarantine programme resume on Monday with more testimony from hotel security staff.
The inquiry last week heard poor-performing security guards were moved between the quarantine hotels, while returned travellers feared catching the coronavirus during their stay.
