Victorians to get ‘modest’ freedoms as state records 779 new cases

Victorians can expect “modest” changes to restrictions next week as the state is expected to hit a key target.

Victorians can expect “modest” changes to restrictions as the state is tipped to hit a key vaccination target.

It comes as a man in his 80s from Moreland and a man in his 70s from Hume died and 779 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the state.

The state is expected to hit the 80 per cent single dose vaccination target on Tuesday, with premier Daniel Andrews outlining what restrictions would ease from 11.59pm that night.

“They are modest things, it is not Freedom Day, it’s not the end of the lockdown,” he said on Sunday.

The outdoor venue caps will increase from 20 to 30 and masks can be removed at hair and beauty salons if the service requires it, so facials and beard trimmings can restart.

The Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews announced a “modest” easing of restrictions for people in the state once it hits a key target. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

People in Melbourne will be able to shop and exercise further away from their homes from Wednesday with golf, tennis and boating to reopen.

Mr Andrews said the travel limit would also increase from 10km to 15km and personal training will be able to take place with five fully vaccinated people allowed to work out with a fully vaccinated trainer outside.

Additional restrictions on playgrounds and masks can be removed to eat and drink.

But in good news a lockdown for the city of Geelong will be released from lockdown at midnight despite six new cases recorded in the area.

“There are still cases there and perhaps in another environment in previous times, we would have stayed in lockdown to drive those numbers down to a hard zero,” Deputy chief health officer Deb Friedman said.

That was no longer in line with our management of this virus under the national plan, she said.

“We take into account many factors, we take into account the fact that many of these cases are links to known other cases,” Dr Friedman said in relation to the decision to lift the lockdown.

However Mitchell shire would remain in lockdown, she said.

“Mitchell Shire being directly adjacent to some of the local government areas that have the highest rates of Covid anywhere in Australia,” the Deputy chief health officer said.

Police are out and about on the streets of Melbourne, checking compliance, on Sunday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Paul Jeffers

It was “perennially vulnerable” to incursions from suburbs it was adjacent to, she said.

There are 325 people in hospital and of those 73 people are in intensive care, 54 of which are on a ventilator.

Mr Andrews said four people aged in their 20s and three in their 30s needed machines to help them breathe.

“So that makes the point very clearly that this is now by and large a pandemic in the unvaccinated,” he said.

The state’s testing commander Jeroen Weimar said on Sunday 80 per cent of people in the hospital with the virus were unvaccinated.

“So 80 per cent of the 325 people in hospital are not vaccinated, five per cent are fully vaccinated and the remaining 15 per cent have had one dose,” he said.

Reported yesterday: 779 new local cases and 0 cases acquired overseas.
- 34,280 vaccines administered
- 46,322 test results received
- Sadly, 2 people with COVID-19 have died

More later: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/8J2JOHhd7O

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 25, 2021

However up to 34,280 vaccines were administered on grand final day on Saturday, and 46,322 people were tested for the virus.

The total number of active virus cases in the state has now hit 8011, the Department of Health announced.

About 77 per cent of Victorians have now received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 47 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Western Australia slammed its border shut to Victoria on Saturday after the state was placed in the Covid-19 “extreme risk” category from Wednesday.