VICTORIANS’ hopes of regaining freedom this week have been dashed, after Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said “almost all of the current lockdown restrictions” would stay in place until 70 per cent of Victorians have had at least one vaccine dose.
The state is currently on track to hit that milestone around September 23, and Mr Andrews said vaccination is now the only way out of the outbreak, as case numbers continue to stubbornly rise, despite the lockdown preventing an estimated 6000 COVID-19 cases.
“We can’t ease restrictions today in any profound way,” Mr Andrews said.
“We have thrown everything at this, but it is now clear to us that we here not going to drive these numbers down.
“Now it’s up to us to make sure they don’t increase too fast and they don’t increase too much relative to the number of people who are getting vaccinated.”
However, he said he hoped regional Victoria – with the exception of Shepparton – might be let out of lockdown next week if cases stayed low.
There was some good news for families as playgrounds are set to reopen from midnight Thursday for children under 12, but the outlook isn’t so good for children hoping to return to school, with Mr Andrews confirming younger students would not return to classrooms this term.
Year 12 students, however, might be able to get back on campus to study for their VCE thanks to a COVID-19 vaccination priority scheme for senior students and their teachers to get their first Pfizer dose this month, before the GAT is held on October 5.
A full table of Victoria’s restrictions is available from premier.vic.gov.au.
Once Victoria hits the 70 per cent vaccinated target, further restrictions will begin to ease statewide, including the travel limit increasing from 5km to 10km and an extra hour of exercise per day.
Until then, the five reasons to leave home remain in place: shopping for essential food and supplies, authorised work and study, care and caregiving, exercise, and vaccination. Masks are still essential.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he understood “the sacrifices and the wonderful work that so many millions of Victorians have done”, but urged Victorians to stick with it until the vaccination target is hit.
“Absolutely it’s tough and three weeks seems like an eternity,” he said.
“That light at end of the tunnel is too dim and the tunnel is too long, but it is a light at the end of the tunnel. It is the genuine pathway out of here.”
The update came as Victoria recorded two deaths and 120 locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Wednesday – the first time the state’s daily total has gone above 100 cases since September 2 last year. A total of 122 cases remain under investigation, from 900 active cases in Victoria.
New South Wales reported 1116 new cases and four deaths.
