State reveals reopening roadmap

Colac and district households will be able to have 30 visitors for Christmas, the State Government hopes.

Meanwhile, authorities are calling 80-per-cent full vaccination the “ultimate end point”.

It comes as Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday revealed the state’s roadmap to reopening, including projected timelines for hitting vaccination targets and relaxing restrictions.

Public gatherings for up to 10 people will be allowed in regional Victoria when the state hits the 80-per-cent first-dose target – which is predicted to be on Sunday – and Grade Prep to Grade Two, VCE units Three and Four and VCAL students will be onsite learning.

When the state reaches 70-per-cent double dose, predicted around October 26, pubs clubs and entertainment venues can open for up to 30 fully vaccinated people indoors, and there will be a green light for community sport and recreation facilities to reopen.

Caps for weddings and funerals will also rise to 30 fully vaccinated people indoors and 100 fully vaccinated people outdoors.

Mr Andrews said 80 per cent of Victorians 16 and older having received a double-dose of vaccine would spell the end of lockdown across the state, and regional Victoria and Melbourne would be on the same set of
rules.

This date is predicted to be November 5.

At that stage, 10 people will be allowed to visit the home, with up to 150 fully vaccinated people able to eat indoors and 30 people able to gather in public outdoors. Masks will only be needed inside and all retail will be open.

According to the plan, two weeks later the state hopes to have 80 per cent of Victorians older than 12 fully vaccinated, and Victoria can align with Australia’s national COVID response.

The plan is based on reaching vaccination milestones and the dates are indicative only, based on modelling.
Meanwhile, the Premier said there would be an expected delay for Pfizer supply in October, but said there was AstraZeneca available.

He said 87 per cent of the 204 COVID cases in hospital yesterday were unvaccinated.

Mr Andrews also shared modelling by the Burnet Institute that expected cases to peak at about 4500 on December 15.

“Towards the end of December, admissions to hospital will peak at about 3,150, and in January, deaths due to COVID-19 in the Delta variant will peak at around 2,200. These are sobering numbers,” he said.

He said there would be significant challenges for the state in the reopening, particularly in the health sector as case numbers ramp up.

“There will be pain, it will be challenging, it will be very hard on our amazing doctors, nurses and ambos and the whole team in our hospitals.

“We will support them, we’ll stand with them.”

Victoria recorded 507 new local cases and one death yesterday, following 535 cases recorded on Saturday and 510 cases on Friday.

Saturday saw the highest daily number so far in the latest outbreak.

At least 71 per cent of Victorians have had one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 43.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.