Three quarters of Victoria needs to be vaccinated before large scale lockdowns end

Victorians face the threat of further Covid lockdowns and harsh restrictions until we manage to hit one crucial milestone.

Businesses are being urged to campaign for staff to get vaccinated amid warnings three quarters of the state needs the jab before large scale lockdowns end.

As companies were forced to shutdown last week across the state to rein in a growing cluster of coronavirus, the Sunday Herald Sun can reveal Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford held a series of meetings with industry leaders.

They were warned that public health teams were likely to continue with harsh restrictions amid major outbreaks until a vast majority of people were vaccinated.

The push for a fresh push to lift vaccination rates came as Health Minister Martin Foley described the jab as the “ticket out of this pandemic” with demand surging and concerns about supply.

Aged care and disability care workers line up for their vaccine at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Picture: NCA NewsWire

In state centres there were a massive 26,523 does administered on Friday, while more than 25,000 were also dished out at GPs, aged care, and other Commonwealth facilities.

Epidemiologist at the University of Melbourne, Prof Tony Blakely, said the decision on when to open up further and effectively rely on herd immunity would be a “incredibly difficult” but would be many months off given the slow uptake of vaccines so far.

He said 80 per cent of people need to be vaccinated for herd immunity but with advanced contact tracing systems health teams could advise to cautiously ease restrictions with only half of the population protected.

“We probably won’t get to herd immunity until next year where we can completely open up,” he said.

Ms Pulford said she had held several meetings with the business community last week and was encouraging everyone to get the jab.

Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Smith in masks before the Western Bulldogs and the Melbourne Demons match at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Getty

“Our small businesses have paid a high price keeping the community safe – the best thing we can now do for them is get vaccinated,” she told the Sunday Herald Sun.

Mr Foley said on Saturday that the idea of a vaccine passport for interstate travel would only be possible with a massive increase in virus protection.

He said the number of people in Victoria at the moment was about 2 or 3 per cent and that fewer than 20 per cent of people had their first jab.

“Neither of those figures are anywhere near enough to give public health officials the confidence … (to allow travel) in the case of lockdowns or shutdowns or those sort of things,” he said.

“Having said all that, let’s look at what the experts advise.”

[e-mail]