Melbourne lockdown to lift on October 22; 1838 cases, seven deaths announced

Premier Daniel Andrews says Victoria’s overwhelming vaccine turnout could see vaccine rates higher than 90 per cent, making the bold prediction after announcing an early end to lockdown.

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Victoria’s vaccine rate could exceed 90 per cent, with Premier Daniel Andrews optimistic after the state’s “amazing” uptake of Covid jabs.

It comes as Melbourne’s lockdown is set to end in a matter of days after authorities announced changes to the state’s road map.

At that point, 70 per cent of the eligible Victorian population will have been fully vaccinated.

Mr Andrews said the state could see a vaccine rate as high as 94 per cent.

“I don’t think it will stop at 90 per cent. There is not a ceiling, I think it will creep beyond that and maybe get to 92 per cent, 93 per cent, 94 per cent even.

“But every jab, every person, every percentage point that is fully vaccinated, that is literally tens of thousands of people less getting sick and finishing up needing hospitalisation.

Manjula Gamageat receives a Pfizer vaccination while his family looks on in a pop-up vaccination hub at Casey Fields in Cranbourne. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“It will absolutely impact not just what the kind of the peak when you open looks like, but what next year looks like.”

From 11.59pm on October 21, the lockdown will lift, with no restrictions leaving home.

Key changes to the road map at 70 per cent include dumping the travel limit, which was due to extend to 25km. Melburnians will be able to travel freely across the city, although won’t be permitted to go to regional Victoria.

Homes will be allowed 10 visitors, including dependants. It is “highly recommended” visitors aged over 12 are vaccinated but not mandatory, given Mr Andrews said it would be difficult for authorities to police.

Outdoor gatherings will also increase to 15 people.

Indoor service at pubs, clubs and entertainment venues will reopen to 20 fully vaccinated people.

Melbourne’s lockdown is set to lift early. Picture: David Crosling

“Food and drink will be seated service and 20 people who are fully vaccinated will be able to have that experience, they’ll be able to eat and drink inside,” Mr Andrews said.

“Plus, the previously committed 50 people outside who are fully vaccinated.

“It’s now 50 outside and 20 inside. There will be density limits, but it is again something extra, and something meaningful that we can do at this point.”

The staggered return of grade three to year 11 students will also be fast-tracked, now starting October 22 four days ahead of originally planned.

Childcare will be open to children who are already attending, as well as children whose parents or guardians are fully vaccinated.

Religious gatherings, weddings and funerals will be permitted with up to 50 people outdoors and 20 indoors, subjected to density limits and everyone having been jabbed.

Melburnians must continue to work from home if they can., and anyone on the authorised workers list is required to have had at least one dose of the vaccine in order to work on site.

Large-scale construction sites can operate at 100 per cent capacity, but only if all workers are fully vaccinated.

Regional Victoria continues to lead Melbourne out of lockdown, with additional freedoms announced for those outside of Melbourne on Sunday.

From 11.59pm on Thursday, regional Victoria can have 20 people at outdoor public gatherings, along with 100 fully-vaccinated people outdoors at venues.

Thirty fully-vaccinated people indoors at one time at restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and gyms.

All students can return to school on Friday in regional Victoria.

Masks will still be required both indoors and outdoors across the state.

Mr Andrews was asked by media on Sunday if this lockdown will be the last, as Victoria celebrates an early lift of its sixth lockdown ahead of Friday.

“Is there a trigger for another lockdown or is this it?” he was asked.

The Premier said targeted lockdowns in vulnerable communities were still a possibility, but indicated “broad” lockdowns were a thing of the past.

“There is potential for a very targeted measure if you had a particularly vulnerable community where say vaccination rates were very low and there is, in the national plan, the national cabinet plan, there is the prospect of something that is quite focused and targeted,” he said.

“But today, we are moving beyond that. We’re not locking people down any more across the board.”

Bring forward the haircut and tell Mum you'll be round for dinner.

Lockdown will end at 11.59pm on Thursday.

5 million Victorians have had a first dose, and we're well ahead of where we thought we'd be - meaning we can make the changes we promised in the Roadmap, and go further pic.twitter.com/17qohsFX6A

— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) October 17, 2021

VAX RATE INCREASING, BUT CAUTION URGED

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said Victorians were “absolutely powering through” the vaccine rollout.

Professor Sutton said he believed the 80 per cent double dose target would be reached earlier than expected.

“It really is our ticket through this,” Prof Sutton said.

But he warned that many people would become exposed to the virus as the state opened up.

“It might sound confronting, but it’s going to be much more manageable,” he said.

The Premier said Victoria’s Covid peak is still to come despite daily cases numbers reaching over 2000 this week.

Melburnians have endured a long, bleak lockdown. Picture: Robert Cianflone

“We will see a peak in cases and we will see a peak in the number of people who are in hospital, and we will see people lose their lives to this,” Mr Andrews said.

“That’ll be a terrible tragedy. That’ll be incredibly difficult for families, for loved ones, for staff in our health system.

“That’s why getting vaccinated is so, so important.”

Mr Andrews said the only people who would be “locked out” in Victoria after Friday would be those who had not been vaccinated without a medical reason.

“We are instead locking people out who have not got vaccinated,” he said.

“To protect themselves and to protect everybody else, they are not going to be able to participate in the economy and the community the way that they would like to.”

1838 NEW CASES, SEVEN DEATHS

Health authorities announced 1838 new cases on Sunday, along with the Covid deaths of seven Victorians.

More than 73,500 people were tested for Covid — a bumper result for a weekend.

Nearly 39,000 vaccines were administered at state hubs, with at least 65 per cent of eligible Victorians now fully vaccinated.

There are currently 23,376 active cases across the state.

Three of the latest deaths were Hume residents: a man in his 50s, a woman in her 60s, a man in his 70s, and a man in his 80s.

Elsewhere, a man in his 80s from the Mornington Peninsula, a man in his 80s from Darebin and a woman in her 80s from Whittlesea.

It comes as Mr Andrews took a swipe at NSW while congratulating Victorians on being only a few weeks behind the northern state’s reopening plan, considering “we know and understand just how much extra vaccine went there”.

“It is a credit to every single Victorian, as I said, their conviction, compassion, and an absolute determination to get this done,” Mr Andrews said.

“They are at 80 per cent, we are about to be a 70 per cent.

“They ticked over 80 per cent yesterday and their rules change tomorrow.

“We know why they are at 80 per cent. None of us can change that. But we’re going to get there really, really soon.

“Why have we had lockdowns? Because we didn’t have the vaccine.

“Why have we had rules and density limits and all manner of quite unimaginable restrictions on people’s lives? Because we didn’t have a vaccine.”

CROWDS ALLOWED AT REMEMBRANCE DAY

Up to 3800 fully-vaccinated veterans, their guests and members of the public will be able to ­attend next month’s Remembrance Day service.

Last year’s commemorations were stripped down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s Shrine of Remembrance service, which will be held at 11am on November 11, will feature all the traditional elements including the iconic Ray of Light that will ­illuminate the Shrine, the Ode that will be read by contemporary defence force veterans, and wreath-laying by Victorian Governor Linda Dessau.

The Shrine chief executive Dean Lee said: “Remembrance Day is the day we reflect on the generations of Australian ­Defence Force service men and women who risk themselves to protect us all.”

Attendees will be required to check in on arrival using the Service Victoria app, but bookings will not be required.

The service will also be live streamed on the Shrine’s website, Facebook and YouTube.

The Shrine will also be illuminated red from November 1-10 to encourage Victorians to honour those who served in the military.

Melbourne’s war memorial was the site of a rowdy anti-vaccination protest last month, which led to more than 200 people being arrested for flouting coronavirus restrictions.

Shrine of Remembrance chief executive Dean Lee. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

NEW COVID SAFETY MEASURES IN SCHOOLS

Victorian schools have introduced many Covid-19 safety measures as prep to year 2 students return to the classroom this week.

Onsite learning will return from Monday, October 18, for prep on Monday to Wednesday and years 1 and 2 on Thursday and Friday.

From October 26, years 3 and 4 will return on Tuesday-Wednesday, and years 5 and 6 on Thursday-Friday.

Face-to-face learning will resume for all students on ­November 5.

Education Minister James Merlino said classrooms would have Covid safety measures ­including air purifiers, with every government and low-fee non-government school ­receiving shade sails to bring more classes outside.

Since the start of term four, 51,000 air purification devices have begun rolling out to all government and low-fee non-government schools to remove potentially infectious particles.

“Critically, we need as many students over 12 and staff vaccinated, because that’s the biggest way to both reduce transmission and reduce serious illness in everyone,” Mr Merlino said.

New safety measures are in place to minimise the spread of Covid in schools.

The Deputy Premier said if teachers were not fully vaccinated by November 29, they would not be permitted to work in schools, but mandatory vaccinations for children were not being considered by the state government.

Child psychologist Kimberley O’Brien from the Quirky Kid Clinic said play-based learning around hygiene habits was also important, with kids feeling anxious about ­exposure to Covid.

She said new research from Dettol showed almost half of primary school children did not always use soap when washing their hands at school, with a new “Catch a Habit” program set to educate them on healthy hand hygiene.

Oakleigh South Primary School assistant principal Erik Albers said teachers were thrilled to have students back onsite for face-to-face learning.

“Students are excited to catch up with their teachers and friends and get back to learning,” he said.

However, opposition education spokesman David Hodgett said: “It’s great to see that our youngest are returning to school, but part-time is no solution.”

“Grade 1 and 2s who have missed nearly two years of fundamental learning are only in the classroom for two days a week. This will not help bridge the enormous learning deficit occurring in our youngsters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mordialloc College is the latest school to pull the pin on year 12s attending on-campus learning, with Monday, October 25, being the last day of onsite VCE classes.

St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar told year 11 and 12 students undertaking Unit 4 subjects last week that they would not be returning to on-campus learning due to fears of “a positive Covid case” arising in the school over the next two weeks.

— Additional reporting: Mitch Ryan, Suzan Delibasic