Scott Morrison praises Victorians for surviving mammoth lockdowns

Victoria will join NSW in allowing fully vaccinated international arrivals to skip quarantine from next month.

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VICTORIA is set to drop its quarantine requirements for all fully vaccinated Australians returning from overseas from as early as November 1.

Cabinet ministers were meeting on Thursday night to sign off on the plan, which would match conditions in NSW. Multiple sources told the Herald Sun the date for major quarantine shift could be as early as November 1.

Under the changes, mandatory stints in hotel quarantine would be scrapped for fully vaccinated Australians returning from overseas. It would also mean passengers would need to test negative to Covid before boarding a flight.

As a result of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s announcement, Australia’s national airline Qantas brought forward its first international flights to November 1.

Deakin University’s epidemiology chair Dr Catherine Bennett said the move posed minimal risk to Victorians and would allow the state to accept more international travellers.

“With offshore screening in place, the percentage of returning travellers who are infected has been very low, less than 0.5 per cent,” Prof Bennett said.

“These infections are mainly among those not fully unvaccinated.

“This is also in line with phase C of the national plan (80 per cent double vaxxed) where there will be no caps on fully vaccinated returning Australians.

“This is only really feasible with minimal or no home quarantine in place.”

Prof Bennett said amid the changes, health authorities must continue screen returned travellers to help keep Covid at bay among Victorians.

The relaxed travel requirements come after the Victorian government floated plans to trial home quarantine measures for international travellers, which would see overseas arrivals quarantining at home for seven days.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the overseas arrivals would not open Australia’s borders to international tourists, but would allow citizens, residents and their immediate families to come home.

THOUSANDS TO EXIT QUARANTINE EARLY

Tens of thousands of primary close contacts in Victoria could be freed from quarantine before the end of their 14 day isolation period.

The Department of Health is set to notify about 23,000 contacts they could be eligible to quarantine for just seven days under revised isolation guidelines announced by health authorities last week.

Under the new protocols, non-household primary close contacts who are fully vaccinated will only need to quarantine for seven days, instead of 14.

To be released, they will need to return negative test results from a test taken on day 6 of their quarantine.

Eligible contacts must return a negative Covid test on the sixth day of their isolation period before being able to leave quarantine at 11.59pm of their seventh day in isolation.

The Department of Health will send the 23,000 eligible contacts a text message asking them to confirm whether they are fully vaccinated and if they lived with a confirmed Covid case, as well as outlining the new quarantine measures.

The message will read: “You must have a negative test result on day 6 of your quarantine period to be able to finish quarantine. Once you receive your negative test result you can stop quarantining at 11:59pm on your day 7. If you are already past day 6 of your quarantine period, you can get tested immediately and will be free to leave quarantine as soon as you get your negative test result.”

Unvaccinated people and household primary close contacts must still isolate themselves for 14 days.

Children and people who have a medical exemption to COVID-19 vaccination will also have to quarantine for 14 days due to the high risk of transmission in households.

Victoria is on track to be one of the most vaccinated jurisdictions in the world. Picture: Quinn Rooney

It comes as Victoria recorded 2232 new locally acquired Covid cases and 12 deaths on Thursday.

The number is the highest since last Thursday when 2297 cases were recorded.

Thursday’s case numbers come from more than 79,000 test results and bring the number of active cases to 22,889.

The latest Covid deaths include a man in his 40s, two men and two women in their 60s, one man and one woman in their 70s, three women and a man in their 80s and a woman in her 90s.

There are 779 people in hospitals across the state, with 141 in intensive care and 96 on a ventilator.

More than 37,000 vaccines were administered by state services on Wednesday.

It comes as the state prepares to exit the world’s longest lockdown at midnight.

The five reasons to leave home and travel limits will be scrapped within Melbourne, with hospitality services to reopen and home visits and outdoor gatherings allowed.

Mildura will also be released from lockdown at midnight — a day earlier than initially planned.

“I hope everyone enjoys those first reunions with their families, the first football, netball, cricket training with the kids, the first drink at the pub,” Deputy Premier James Merlino said.

“Every single Victorian has earned this and we are grateful and proud of both the sacrifices you have made to save lives.”

VAX AND MENTAL HEALTH POP-UPS

Parts of Victoria with low vaccination rates will get a major boost, with 30 new clinics to open for walk-in Pfizer appointments.

Deputy Premier James Merlino on Thursday announcement the government would boost the vaccination rollout in areas lagging behind.

The 30 new walk-in centres in areas needing support, such as Collingwood, Frankston and Sunshine, will also be bolstered by nine pop-up clinics in Headspace offices.

Vaccination rates in Melbourne’s west and northwest are surging ahead.

But the northern suburbs are in need of about 10,000 more first doses to bring them up to a first dose rate of 85 per cent.

Mr Merlino also announced nine pop-up mental health clinics would open across Melbourne.

“We are all excited to see our state reopening, but many people continue to experience stress, anxiety and mental ill-health,” he said.

“I encourage anyone who needs support to reach out. These extra mental health services are there to help with whatever you are going through.”

WHERE TODAY’S CASES WERE FOUND

• 717 new cases in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs including Casey and Greater Dandenong

• 506 in Melbourne’s north including Hume and Whittlesea

• 650 in Melbourne’s west including Wyndham, Melton and Brimbank

• 127 in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs including Knox

• 214 cases in regional Victoria

Deputy Premier James Merlino provides an update on Thursday. Picture: Sarah Matray

CRASH WARNING AS LOCKDOWN ENDS

Police have warned people to be extra careful on the roads amid fears of increased crashes and road rage incidents as the city emerges from the world’s longest lockdown.

Police are concerned drivers may have become rusty during the city’s marathon lockdown and that the impending surge in traffic coupled with the return of schools could be a recipe for disaster.

Pedestrian and cyclist safety is also of great concern as they have become accustomed to fewer cars on the road in recent months.

Senior Sergeant Sarah Eglington said there was a spike in crashes and road rage incidents when Melbourne emerged from its 112-day lockdown in November last year.

She urged Melburnians to be extra vigilant on the roads in the weeks ahead.

NEXT TARGET WITHIN REACH

Victoria will likely reach its next vaccine milestone of 80 per cent within a fortnight, with restrictions to ease further on travel and retail.

Deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said the state had 500,000 doses to go before it hit the threshold.

“Suffice to say, we are doing everything we can to hit our next vaccine milestone as quickly as we possibly can. But to also make sure that nobody is left behind,” he said.

Travel restrictions between Melbourne and regional Victoria will remain until the state reaches 80 per cent vaccination.

Victoria Police will be enforcing the travel limits until restrictions ease.

“We are not connecting Melbourne to regional Victoria yet. It isn’t far away,” Deputy Premier James Merlino said.

“You are able to travel around from midnight tonight, you can travel around Melbourne, but we still have that restriction in terms of travelling to regional Victoria.”

GRIM CASE WARNING

Victoria will see “thousands more cases” as vaccination rates rise and restrictions ease.

Deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said high vaccination rates paired with the outbreak affecting younger age groups was posing less pressure on the health system.

But he said there would be thousands more cases as the state opened up.

“We want that to continue to go down,” he said.

“The thing every Victorian can do to keep those numbers down as low as possible is to get vaccinated and, even as we open up, to adhere to Covid safety restrictions, to wear masks, practice and vaccine, social distancing, all the other things we have learned to do.”

VICTORIA’S STUNNING CASE PROJECTION

On the final day of Melbourne’s tough lockdown, deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said cases could have reached into “the tens of thousands” if the city had not shut down.

Mr Cowie said there would likely be more cases in the coming weeks and months, as the city reported another spike.

“We have prevented many thousands of people from ending up in hospital and hundreds of deaths already,” Mr Cowie said.

Acting chief health officer Ben Cowie speaks at the daily Covid update. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

PM PRAISES VICTORIANS’ EFFORTS

Scott Morrison has praised Victorians for surviving “the battle of a generation” as the state reaches the 70 per cent vaccination target and is freed from its sixth lockdown on Thursday night.

But the Prime Minister is keeping the pressure on Daniel Andrews to repay his state’s sacrifices by continuing to ease restrictions, with Victoria on track to become one of the most-vaccinated places in the world.

Writing for the Herald Sun, Mr Morrison said it was time for Victoria to be “winning freedoms back” so the state could “stay safely open”.

“I look forward to the safe easing of more restrictions across Victoria as the vaccination rate continues to surge,” Mr Morrison said.

“Let’s bring this home – that 70 per cent has to become an 80. And most importantly, ensure that we are back together with our families, friends and loved ones this Christmas. Making this Christmas the best ever.”

Victoria raced to the 70 per cent threshold ahead of schedule, backed by the Herald Sun’s Call to Arms campaign, and the state is now set to soar above 90 per cent.

We now sit at 70.51 per cent double dose coverage.

From 11.59pm on Thursday, bars and restaurants will reopen, up to 10 guests will be allowed at home, the travel limit will be scrapped within metropolitan Melbourne and kids will progressively return to school.

Hospitality workers will be able to leave home after 9pm on Thursday to get their venues ready to welcome eager customers, but patrons run the risk of fines if they head out too early, with the controversial curfew remaining in place until 11.59pm.

Covid commander Jeroen Weimar had initially declared staff could not leave home between 9pm and 11.59pm, before the state government cleared up the confusion.

Mr Weimar told Victorians who were keen to head out they would “have to wait for the witching hour to strike, and then you can make your way down to the local pub”.

We did it! ✅

70% of Australians aged 16+ are now fully vaccinated against COVID.

Thank you, Australia. Now let’s bring this home across the country and hit the 80% target in the National Plan so we can continue to safely reopen and stay safely open.

— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) October 20, 2021

Mr Morrison said vaccinations were “clearly winning the fight” against Covid-19, and that if Victoria was a country, it would now be the 12th most vaccinated place in the OECD based on first doses.

“You’re about to start reclaiming your lives,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t be complacent. We still have to take one step at a time safely and ensure we always put that safety goal first as we reopen our country.”

Read Scott Morrison’s message to Victorians here.

Melburnians are excited about returning to bars and restaurants. Picture: David Geraghty

As Victorians prepare to celebrate what some have dubbed Freedom Friday, Mr Weimar said the virus threat remained. “It’s not a mass freedom day or ‘let’s go completely nuts’ – there is still a significant risk,” he cautioned.

Businesses are urging Victorians to splurge after lockdown with a new study revealing two out of three plan to spend big when restrictions are eased.

Eating at a restaurant, going to the shops and getting on the beers were top of the splurge list, the research by NAB has found. Women were keen to get to the hair or beauty salon while men were prioritising the pub, the gym and live sport.

“With many Victorians having been in lockdown longer than anywhere else in the world, it’s no surprise that around two in three are going to splurge once lockdown ends – welcome news for many struggling small businesses,’’ the report said.

Victoria on Wednesday recorded 1841 new local Covid cases and 12 more deaths.

Loved ones were reunited at Melbourne Airport as the first flight carrying fully vaccinated travellers from Sydney touched down in Victoria.

Friends and family threw their arms around one another after health authorities announced last week that fully vaccinated travellers from the northern state could come to Victoria quarantine free.

Among the first double-dosed travellers landing in Melbourne was Melanie Schilling, who was forced to wait two months to embrace her husband Gareth Brisbane and daughter Maddie on Wednesday.

Students Nash and Annabel celebrate Melbourne’s vaccine milestone as they return to school. Picture: Tim Carrafa

AWFUL TRUTH OF VICTORIA’S LOCKDOWN

The good news is that the likelihood of surviving COVID-19 compares favourably with Don Bradman’s batting average.

The rest of the news is bad.

Tables depicting the Victorian costs of the pandemic present a sobering analysis of the state’s performance across a wide spectrum of measures.

Click here to see the data.

BOOSTERS FOR AGED CARE

Elderly Australians in aged-care facilities across the nation will be offered a Covid-19 booster shot next month, if authorities give their tick of approval.

The development comes after the Herald Sun revealed boosters would be rolled out widely by Christmas.

Health Minister Greg Hunt will hold talks about the use of Pfizer vaccine for boosters with Australia’s expert immunisation panel and drug regulator on Monday.

“We are in a position to commence and to make sure that that additional protection is provided,” Mr Hunt declared on Wednesday.

But Mr Hunt said aged-care facilities and states may be able to start boosters before then, if the jab is approved.

New data from Israel has shown boosters are effective at decreasing infection and severe disease in all age groups.

TEACHERS ON THE MARK

About 85.5 per cent of Victoria’s teaching staff are fully vaccinated and 98 per cent have had their first Covid-19 vaccination.

This means they will be able to work on October 25 when all education workers are required to have had a first dose.

Almost 1400 Victorian teaching staff are yet to confirm if they have received a Covid vaccine.

Figures from the Department of Education reveal 1221 Victorian school staff members are yet to disclose their vaccination status, while 166 others have reported that they are not vaccinated and do not have a booking scheduled before the mandate comes into effect.

The 166 who have stated they have not made a booking make up about 1.7 per cent of the state’s teaching staff.

HOSPITALITY CONFUSION

The state government has been forced to justify its decision to require bar and restaurant staff to be fully vaccinated before healthcare workers and teachers.

It comes amid widespread confusion after contradictory messaging incorrectly advised only one dose was required for hospitality workers.

The state government later clarified every worker must be fully vaccinated, despite the authorised worker mandate giving workers until November 26 to receive both doses. Many venues may push reopenings back as employees were working towards the later deadline.

Covid commander Jeroen Weimar said longer deadlines for industries such as construction, healthcare and media, were made because they were mandatory, contractual obligations.