Victoria criticised over slow progress as NSW opens up bars, cafes and restaurants

Victorian officials have been criticised over the state’s cautious path to reopening, with dishearteningly stark differences between states at play.

Victorian officials have been criticised over the state’s cautious path to reopening, with dishearteningly stark differences between it and its neighbouring state already at play.

After a lengthy 106-day lockdown and dangerous Covid outbreak, Sydneysiders bounced back on Monday, piling into cafes, pubs and restaurants as Melburnians spent their 68th day at home.

People living in the Victorian capital will have to wait until later this month before reopening, with frustrations mounting from business owners and politicians.

The restrictions are drastically different to NSW, which decided to get rid of restrictions for the fully vaccinated once reaching its 70 per cent target earlier this week.

Sydney has reopened after 106 days in lockdown. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

During Victorian Parliament’s question time on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy questioned why the state was taking such a cautious approach.

“NSW is 70 per cent fully vaccinated and residents there are permitted to eat and drink indoors in a restaurant, pub or cafe,” he said.

“When Victoria reaches 70 per cent fully vaccinated, will the government permit Victorians to do the same as NSW?”

Melbourne remains in its sixth Covid lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Once 70 per cent of Victoria’s population is fully vaccinated, projected for October 26, Melbourne’s curfew will ease, the state’s travel limit will be reduced and venues will open outdoors to fully vaccinated patrons.

But Victorians will have to wait until 80 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated for further freedoms, including Melbourne hospitality reopening for seated service and visitors allowed inside homes.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley reminded Mr Guy the state’s outbreak had originated in NSW, with the neighbouring state also receiving more vaccine allocations from the commonwealth.

“The Victorian government’s plan ensures that when we open, we reopen carefully, sustainably and safely in a way that rewards Victorians and protects our public health system,” Mr Foley said.

“And I am confident that given the different timing and the different vaccination support that each of those states have received from the commonwealth that in the not too distant future Victoria will be following a not so dissimilar path to NSW.”

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said the state planned to reopen ‘carefully’. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Sydney has enjoyed greater freedoms since Monday. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP

Australia’s two largest cities are at disparate stages of their most recent outbreaks that broke out in Sydney in June and seeded to Melbourne a month later.

The outbreaks crossed paths on September 27 when NSW had 806 cases compared with Victoria’s 845.

NSW appears to be well and truly past the peak of its outbreak, with 496 new local infections reported on Monday, though healthcare workers are bracing for a spike in cases as the state reopens.

The 80 per cent threshold is projected for November 5, but it could be reached earlier after Victorian vaccine supplies were shored up.

Despite recording 1466 new cases on Tuesday, Victorian health authorities are confident cases could now be on the decline.

“We did see a big drop in numbers over the last few days, I think people feel cautiously optimistic about that – I’m cautiously optimistic about that,” chief health officer Brett Sutton said.

“That‘s not to say that we shouldn’t keep our guard up or that we might not see an uptick in cases, but with higher and higher levels of vaccination coverage each and every day in Victoria, across Australia, it does give me hope that we are continuing to suppress the transmission.”

Originally published as Victoria criticised over slow progress as NSW opens up bars, cafes and restaurants