When Victorians can have visitors at home

Some Victorians will soon be able to host gatherings at home. Here’s when family and friends can visit and the 15km Melbourne travel limit will be scrapped.

Housemates Joel Witham, Fergus Smith-Merrett, Patrick Foley and Liam Harrington are keen to have visitors back at their Brunswick home. Picture: Rebecca Michael

Victorians are set to be free to visit each other at home sooner than expected.

The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal that up to five fully vaccinated people will be able to visit homes once 70 per cent of Victorians over 16 have had two jabs, in a major change to lockdown rules.

Victoria is set to hit 70 per cent by Thursday and 80 per cent the following week.

The state will try to turbocharge the race to 80 per cent fully vaccinated by the end of this month by contacting 100,000 Victorians to bring forward their second shots.

This would bring in greater freedoms such as statewide travel, indoor dining, school returns and shops opening.

On Saturday night, the state government’s crisis cabinet was meeting to fine-tune the new freedoms and timelines on hitting vaccination targets.

It is understood there has been a significant push to ease restrictions as soon as possible, but chief health officer Brett Sutton has been cautious about moving too quickly.

The Sunday Herald Sun also understands the government will move to scrap the 15 km travel limit when the state reaches the 70 per cent fully vaccinated target by the end of the week. But Melburnians will still be unable to travel to the regions until the 80 per cent fully vaccinated target is achieved.

One Labor figure said Premier Daniel Andrew had indicated visitors in the home were being considered at a lower threshold than when 80 per cent were double-dosed.

“It’s something we have been looking at, visitors at the home at 70 (per cent),” the ­insider said.

Changes to NSW road maps and border arrangements, as well as the pace at which Victorians are racing to get jabbed, have emboldened the ministry.

However, one source said Professor Sutton would have the final say given he signed public health orders, and high case numbers were still causing concerns.

On Saturday, NSW reached its 80 per cent double-dosed trigger.

The state government has approved crowds at some major events, including the Shrine of Remembrance where 3800 will be allowed to gather on Remembrance Day, ­November 11.

On Saturday night the ­Department of Health confirmed the vaccination push, with the state able to jump from 70 to 80 per cent double- dosed in less than a week if ­appointments for second jabs were brought forward.

“With regular supplies of Pfizer and Moderna now available, every eligible Victorian now has the opportunity to bring forward their Covid-19 vaccination and get protected sooner,” a department statement said.

“Up to 100,000 Victorians can expect to get a call from the Department of Health in coming days inviting them to bring forward their second doses of Pfizer.”

The move would also protect our hospital system as rule-breakers, tired of the world’s longest lockdown, led to more than 2000 cases a day on occasion last week.

The coronavirus hotline has started the marathon ring- around, pleading with people to move their second dose to October 25 or earlier because of a surge in Pfizer and Moderna supply.

The campaign will save at least two days of lockdown, and would smash current forecasts to suggest that the long-awaited day when Victoria reopens will be ­October 31 – a call made by analyst Anthony Macali of Covidlive.com.au

There are up to one million doses of Pfizer and Moderna available in Victoria next week with supply now outstripping demand.

Victoria needs 269,341 second doses to reach the 70 per cent double-dosed target, ­according to the department.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia is now ahead of the US and the EU for first doses as we race towards 80 per cent fully vaccinated nationwide.

After a slow start because of extra supply prioritised for Sydney’s outbreak, Victoria has been hitting its straps.

Mr Andrews cut the gap ­between Pfizer doses at state hubs from six weeks to three weeks, and that has supercharged the jabs race.

Mr Macali, whose website has been the go-to guide for vaccination data, said he was optimistic that Victoria would beat both its 70 and 80 per cent double dose targets.

“There’s a small chance, a very best-case scenario that we get to 80 per cent by the 30th of October, but I’m calling the 31st of October,” he said.

Yesterday 1993 new cases were recorded.

Sadly, a 15-year-old girl ­became Victoria’s youngest Covid victim.