VICTORIA’S lockdown looks set to be extended with “very modest changes” beyond Thursday’s scheduled end point, as Premier Daniel Andrews pledges to crush case numbers.
Mr Andrews said at Tuesday’s press conference that the government was working to establish “thresholds” for ending the lockdown, as case numbers continue to swell in both Shepparton and Melbourne.
He flagged slight easings to restrictions would be announced on Wednesday, but was hesitant to give specific details.
“I do want to be very clear with the people of Victoria: this will not be freedom day,” he said.
“It will not be an opening up type of day. It will be modest changes that hopefully can be meaningful in people’s lives.”
But Mr Andrews said a full easing would rely on much lower case numbers, as vaccination rates become increasingly important.
“These numbers are too high for us to open up,” he said.
“You either aim for zero, or very low numbers, or you finish up with many zeros.
“Victoria and the nation only has 35 per cent of people double-dose covered.
“Trying to cope with a pandemic when you are open with very few rules when so few people are vaccinated … would mean thousands of cases.”
Victoria recorded 76 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, of which just 36 were in isolation for their entire infectious period. A total of 52 Victorians are in hospital with COVID-19, of whom 16 are in intensive care.
NSW recorded 1164 new cases and three deaths.
