Victoria Covid update: Unvaccinated people could be banned from sites when jab goals are met | Victoria

Daniel Andrews has warned that unvaccinated Victorians could be “stranded” from places and events when the state meets its reopening targets.

“When we come to these [70 and 80%] double-dose vaccination thresholds… the notion of locking out the whole community is much less relevant, ”the Victorian Prime Minister said on Friday.

“What will become a more important part of our response is the foreclosure of many sites for those who are not vaccinated.

“I am not going to lock down the whole state to protect the people who would not protect themselves. If you are not vaccinated, and you could be, the chances of booking a ticket to a sporting event, going to a pub … will be very limited.

Andrews said “further changes” to the restrictions would be announced, including the possibility of more freedoms on the outside, once 70% of Victorians received a vaccine.

Victoria is more than halfway from her goal of 1 million shots in five weeks, with 58.1% of eligible Victorians having received their first dose.

“We are obviously still a few days away from reaching that milestone … of 70% single dose but … the sooner we get to 70%, the more vaccinations there are, the more we can make the changes announced the other day.” , Andrews said.

“Noting that this was a modest list as it was considered safe by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. But there may be things, like the exterior, that will be looked at. “

On Friday, 208 locally acquired cases were announced and one case detected in quarantine in a hotel, with the source of 112 cases still under investigation. Health officials have not confirmed how many cases have been isolated throughout their infectious period.

There has been another death from Covid, a man in his 60s from Altona North with unknown vaccine status.

Only two more cases were detected in the regional town of Shepparton after 6,000 test results from Day 13 overnight, putting Regional Victoria on track to ease restrictions starting next week.

A home quarantine pilot project in Victoria has been reported as a way to bring stranded Victorians in New South Wales home through the use of technology and testing.

Covid response commander Jeroen Weimar said he expected the Shepparton outbreak – currently at 132 cases – to be extinguished in the coming days, but was concerned about transmission at the location of work in the Melbourne metropolis.

There is a growing epidemic in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, with 48 cases detected overnight, as well as positive sewage tests in southern and southeastern Melbourne.

Twenty cases have been linked to a construction center in Box Hill and 17 positive cases detected at a call center in St Kilda.

“They provide essential goods and services that keep everyone going, but if you are an employer, check your Covid Safety Plan and make sure you are doing whatever you need to keep your family safe. workplace and your business, because we are now at a level of transmission that you cannot trust, the people coming in are OK, ”Weimar said.

“We need to make sure they show up and get tested to minimize the risk of infection as other workplaces open up.”

On Friday, 64 people were treated with the Covid at the hospital, including 60 people in intensive care and 11 on a ventilator. Just under a third of those hospitalized were under 40 years old.

Victoria’s priority program to deliver at least one Pfizer vaccine to all grade 12 students before final exams will begin next Tuesday.

The program will run until September 17, with a number of pop-up hubs being set up in existing schools.

There will be around 50,000 priority appointments for 12 years, which will be available from Monday, September 6.

“Schools will contact these senior students and have this discussion about reservations,” Andrews said. “They will have priority access to priority appointments and care when they come to a state clinic.”

Andrews said testing and improving ventilation in classrooms would be key to reducing the risk of transmission when schools finally open, as well as increasing outdoor learning spaces.

While the prospect of zero cases had been dropped, Andrews said ongoing restrictions were needed to keep numbers as low as possible as vaccination rates improved.

“In some ways we have to try even harder and I know the Victorians give so much and I am deeply grateful and proud of that,” he said.

“We are going to see the cases increase. It is undeniable, but we have to slow down the pace of the increase. We must see them rise as modestly and slowly as possible. “

There are 50,000 appointments for the AstraZeneca vaccine available over the next three weeks, after the wait time to be fully dosed with the vaccine was halved from 12 weeks to six.