Return to Covid zero cases in Victoria a stretch, says Daniel Andrews

Daniel Andrews has all but conceded a return to Covid zero in Victoria is unlikely.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne on Tuesday. Picture: Getty Images

Daniel Andrews has all but conceded a return to Covid zero in Victoria is unlikely, foreshadowing an announcement on Wednesday to detail thresholds for the “careful, considered, modest easing” of some restrictions.

The news came ahead of confirmation of the deaths at separate homes of a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 60s, who ­became the first people to die with coronavirus in Victoria in 2021, bringing the state’s Covid death toll to 822.

It also preceded AFL boss Gillon McLachlan’s announcement that the grand final would not be played at the MCG for a second consecutive year, with Victoria forced to relinquish the September 25 match to Western Australia given no prospect of crowds being allowed.

Acknowledging almost four weeks into his state’s sixth lockdown that the “numbers are too high for us to open up”, the Victorian Premier said the aim remained to keep numbers low, with only 34.7 per cent of Victorians over 16 double vaccinated as of Tuesday.

“If, despite our best efforts, zero is not something we can achieve, I will make two points: It can’t be much more than zero and, secondly, we are better off for having chased zero. Otherwise, it finishes up thousands of cases,” Mr Andrews said.

“We will be back tomorrow to talk about those thresholds and some of the careful, considered, but I do stress modest, easing that we think will be possible and safe. No decision has been yet made. We will provide that clarity as soon as we can.”

He ruled out reopening schools, but said he would have more to say soon regarding a strategy to ensure Year 12s have at least had a first vaccine by the time they sit their first exams on October 4.

While he hinted at greater easing for the regions, saying containment of the outbreak in the northern Victorian town of Shepparton could give the government options to “go further or maybe faster in regional Victoria”, he said he would not necessarily abolish controversial rules such as Melbourne’s 9pm curfew and a ban on the use of playgrounds.

“I wouldn’t assume those things are coming off,” he said.

However, The Australian understands one option being considered does involve the lifting of the playground ban and curfew should numbers continue to stabilise.

More broadly, the road map is expected to include specific targets based on the number, nature and location of cases, which will trigger “mild easing” of restrictions at each stage.

With cases spread throughout Melbourne, but concentrated in the city’s west and north, the possibility of greater easing in LGAs with low or no cases is also being considered.

Australia is forecast to reach national cabinet’s 70 per cent ­vaccination target for those aged 16 and over by October 30, with 80 per cent expected to be double dosed by November 16 – a ­threshold Mr Andrews has said will make lockdowns in Victoria unlikely but not impossible.

Having continually cited a lack of Pfizer vaccines as his state’s greatest obstacle in controlling Covid, Mr Andrews gave his clearest endorsement yet of AstraZeneca, urging unvaccinated Victorians unable to secure a Pfizer appointment to “go online right now”.

“There are literally thousands of AstraZeneca appointments available for you,” the Premier said. “That won’t be ­for ­everybody but it will be for large numbers.”

Victoria recorded 76 cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, up from 73 on Monday, but down from the 2021 peak of 92 on Sunday.

The numbers of mystery cases have soared in recent days, with 31 new cases under investigation on Tuesday and eight solved, bringing the total number of ­active cases with no identified source of acquisition to 87.

Of the 76 new cases on ­Tuesday, 36 were quarantined for the duration of their infectious period.