Victoria lifts tough Covid restrictions amid soaring vaccination rate

Victoria has relaxed a host of Covid restrictions now that its population is almost entirely fully vaccinated against the virus.

Unvaccinated teachers can return to work and travellers won’t need to wear masks inside airports as part of a throng of Covid restrictions being relaxed in Victoria.

Onwards from Saturday, masks will no longer be mandatory in airports, however will still need to be worn on flights and all forms of public transport.

The mandatory three vaccine dose rule for people in education, food distribution, meat and seafood processing and quarantine accommodation has also been binned.

Education staff without a third vaccine will be allowed to return to work, while rules requiring general workers to work from home if they haven’t been jabbed will be removed.

Employers will however be allowed to set workplace vaccine status requirements for staff.

Health workers in residential aged care and disability care, healthcare and emergency services will still be required to have three doses.

Mask rules have been majorly relaxed in Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

“This is a sensible implementation of minor and progressive changes,” Minister for Health Martin Foley said.

“Business wanted a bit of time in the run-up to that and the public health advice was more than happy to give that.”

About 68 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and older have had three doses, with 94.6 per cent aged 12 and older having received two doses.

Caps on visitors to aged care facilities, including residential aged care and disability, have been lifted, with residents able to see any number of people as long as they test negative on a rapid antigen test that day.

If a test is unavailable, a person can only be present for limited reasons such as end-of-life visits. Centres may introduce their own visitor rules to respond to local risk.

Revised isolation rules for positive cases have been adjusted to allow people to leave home while they have Covid.

They can leave home to drive a household member directly to or from education or work without leaving their vehicle.

They can also leave home to get medical care, a Covid-19 test, or in an emergency, including the risk of harm.

Teachers who haven’t been fully vaccinated will be allowed to return to classrooms. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Geraghty

Updates to pandemic orders were made after consultation with the Acting chief health officer and consideration of their advice, a statement from Premier Danial Andrews’ office read.

Mr Foley said the measures would allow for case numbers to remain low and not place strain on the hospital system through winter “when the risk of transmission is highest”.

“Modest changes to our public health measures will keep Victorians protected as we continue to safely lift mandates and support businesses and individuals to begin to manage their own Covid-19 risk,” he said.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly renewed calls on Friday for people to get a flu shot.

“The flu vaccine is very important now, right across Australia, that’s been made free for most people, but particularly those who are vulnerable to severe flu,” he told Today.

”That includes young kids, actually … We need to increase that flu shot as well.”