Dan Andrews foreshadows greater freedoms for Victoria
Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state’s road map out of lockdown will be announced in days as the state nears a vaccination target.
Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the state’s road map out of lockdown will be announced on Sunday.
Mr Andrews confirmed on Tuesday the road map would revolve around granting greater freedoms and reopening schools.
It comes as the state inches closer to recording its 70 per cent first dose vaccination target.
“There will be a map that talks about what we are going to do for the rest of September, October and November. It will be subject to all sorts of things like how many people are in hospital,” Mr Andrews told reporters.
“It will give people a clear sense of what we’re working towards.”
It comes as Victoria recorded 423 new cases and two deaths on Wednesday, with the infection rate showing no clear signs of slowing.
In Victoria, 67.6 per cent of the population has received one dose of the vaccine, with the Premier previously benchmarking a 70 per cent one-dose target for restrictions to ease slightly.
Mr Andrews previously said rules related to travel limits, outdoor exercise and personal training and private real estate inspections would initially be eased.
The current lockdown is set to expire on September 23, but officials have signalled restrictions could be eased sooner, depending on vaccine rates.
Once restrictions ease, it’s forecast Victorians will be able to exercise and shop within a 10km radius of their home, an expansion on the current 5km.
They will also be able to exercise for an extra hour per day, for three hours.
Outdoor personal training will be permitted, with up to two people plus the trainer, and outdoor communal gym equipment and skate parks will reopen.
For real estate, property inspections of unoccupied premises for a new purchase or end of lease will be allowed, but only one household member may attend at a time, with real estate agents required to remain outdoors during the inspection.
Victoria’s construction workforce will be able to increase to 50 per cent of capacity once 90 per cent of them have received at least one vaccine dose.
The government will continue to monitor the outbreak and whether further restrictions could be eased sooner than expected.
“I’m not for a moment pretending that those changes are huge changes to the rules, they are not,” Mr Andrews said.
“But that’s what the advice tells us we’ll be able to do without contributing to the increase in the rate of cases.”
As the state continued to see a rise in cases on Tuesday, health department deputy secretary Kate Matson said authorities were constantly looking at modelling.
“We can still manage this if people come forward and follow the restrictions as best they can,” she said.
It is extremely difficult. The burden is difficult. But the alternative, unfortunately, isn‘t normal life. The alternative is, unfortunately, increased hospitalisations, increased deaths from Covid. So, we do ask people to stay the course as best they can.”
Deputy Premier James Merlino on Tuesday said there would likely be continued Covid-normal restrictions once 80 per cent of the population was vaccinated.
“The pandemic is well and truly with us,” he said.
“We need to get to a 80 per cent double dosed and then beyond that, there will still be Covid-normal restrictions impacting on our lives.”
rhiannon.tuffield@news.com.au
Patricia Karvelas’ huge career announcement
Karvelas, who replaced long-term host Fran Kelly in early 2022, will take on a new role in 2025.
Warning over Aussies rejecting SOS flights
Chartered flights leaving Lebanon are still not at full capacity, with Australians rejecting offers to leave the strike zone.