Some Covid restrictions to stay once 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone is met

Close contacts will only need to isolate until they receive a negative result and Victoria will embrace rapid testing under a push for loosened restrictions when a key jab milestone is met.

Isolation orders would be scrapped and Victoria’s borders thrown open to international workers, students and tourists from next week under a bold plan from the state’s peak business group.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for “all the shackles” to be removed from as early as Monday, when it’s expected the state may hit the “90 per cent vaccinated” milestone.

While Premier Daniel ­Andrews has publicly flagged that Victorians will be living under “very few rules” once 90 per cent of Victoria’s population aged over 12 is fully vaccinated, the chamber’s chief executive Paul Guerra wants all restrictions axed.

“As Victoria smashes the vaccination targets, all the shackles need to come off so we can give all our businesses the best chance to roar back,” Mr Guerra said.

A young man receives a Covid vaccination at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Picture: David Geraghty

The state is expected to reach the milestone on or about next Monday, a few days ahead of schedule.

At that point, the government has confirmed masks will no longer be required indoors – except for in high-risk or low-vaccination settings, such as on public transport and in hospitals.

There will also be no limits on the number of guests to the home, while hospitality, retail and entertainment venues will also be allowed to operate at maximum capacity, subject to vaccination requirements.

Fully vaccinated workers can finally begin to return to the office, with an expectation that public servants will work on-site for at least part of the week under a broader plan to revitalise the CBD.

The state government has refused to confirm the exact sector-specific settings in place for 90 per cent, but Mr Guerra wants the ban on stand-up drinking and eating to be lifted and for no restrictions in gaming venues, education settings, recreational facilities, dance floors, and indoor and outdoor entertainment venues.

There will be no limits on the number of people allowed in retail settings. Picture: Getty Images

In a bid to alleviate staff shortages and uncertainty, Mr Guerra will also attempt to seek an agreement that would require fully vaccinated primary close contacts to quarantine only until they get a negative PCR test, instead of the current seven days. But they would still need to use rapid antigen testing ­before work for the following seven days.

Mr Guerra said the Andrews government should also begin to move away from the standard PCR tests from next year, and instead embrace rapid antigen tests.

He said a revised isolation protocol and a new testing structure, as well as greater certainty on how schools managed outbreaks, would “significantly help businesses navigate the issue of staff shortages”.

“It is not sustainable to be shutting down workplaces and schools at the current rate,” Mr Guerra said.

After 15 months of closed borders, Mr Guerra also said it was now time to welcome back international workers, students and tourists to help reboot our economy.

“These are the advantages we should now be able to enjoy as one of the most-vaccinated places in the world; they give us a global competitive edge.”

FEW RULES BY END OF THE WEEK: PREMIER

Victorians surging towards it 90 per cent vaccination target with Daniel Andrews saying the state will have “very few rules” by the end of this week.

The Premier on Tuesday hinted more freedoms would be announced later this week.

“We will be able to make some very exciting announcements quite soon about us reaching our 90 per cent double-dose target,” Mr Andrews said.

Victoria is set to have 90 per cent of the population aged over 12 fully vaccinated ahead of schedule.

It was initially predicted to be met on November 24, but it’s now expected to be achieved earlier next week.

Data expert Anthony Macali, who runs the Covid Live tracking website, has predicted it will be achieved on Monday or Tuesday.

Mr Andrews refused to say when the changes would come into effect, but hinted he would reveal more this week.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“It might be Thursday, it might be Friday or even Saturday,” he said. “It’ll be when I’m ready to make that announcement.”

At that point, masks will only be required in sensitive settings such as on public transport, in hospitals and aged-care settings.

They will also not be mandated in office buildings.

“There’ll be very few rules at all by the end of this week because Victorians have done a great job,” Mr Andrews added.

“This is a credit to every single Victorian who has gone and got the jab.”

It comes as Mr Andrews spruiked a “summer of activity” while refusing to address tennis star Nick Kyrgios’ calls to cancel the Australian Open.

“I’m looking forward to the event. I think it is going to be a fantastic success,” he said.

“It’s going to be a summer of activity, a summer of seeing people that we haven’t been able to see, and doing things we haven’t been able to do.”