Record vaccination rates in Victoria have granted the state an early mark as greater freedoms are returning from 6pm tonight.
Just like NSW before it, VIC hit the 80% double dose vaccination target today, just a week after hitting 70% and triggering the first round of easing restrictions.
Premier Daniel Andrews has said that his state is on track to become “one of the most vaccinated places in the world” as he outlined the plan for what the future of the lockdown roadmap looks like for Victoria.
“We made a deal with the Victorian community — we asked them to get vaccinated and promised that when they did, we would open up and begin to live alongside the virus. Today we are delivering on that promise,” he said.
“Victorians have met this challenge beyond any of our expectations and these vaccination rates are an incredible achievement. We’re on our way to being one of the most vaccinated — and therefore one of the safest — places in the entire world.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the coming freedoms.
Victoria at 80%
From 6pm Friday, regional travel between Melbourne and Victoria will once again be reinstated as restrictions between the two areas are brought into alignment.
All retail will reopen and schools will begin reopening from 6pm.
Indoor venues like restaurants, pubs, gyms, and hairdressers will also open with no visitor limits except for space caps of one person per four square metres.
Outdoor settings will have one person per two square metres with a cap of up to 500 people per venue.
The same caps will apply for weddings, funerals, and religious services.
Entertainment spaces like cinemas and theatres will also reopen, with a 75% capacity cap on indoor spaces or up to 1000 people if the venue is seated. Non-seated venues like clubs will open with no capacity limits except the four square metre rule.
Stadiums, tourist attractions, and zoos will reopen with a limit of one person per two square metres or up to 5,000 people.
Music festivals will be back on with caps of 5,000 people.
Masks will remain mandatory indoors but are no longer required outdoors although it is “highly recommended” that you continue to wear a mask outdoors where you can’t physically distance.
Of course, all of the above only applies to those who are fully vaccinated and proof of vaccination will be required upon entry to venues.
Victoria at 90%
The next milestone in the roadmap for Victoria is the 90% double dose vaccination target for Victorians 12 years and over. The state expects that this will be reached by 24 November.
Andrews said that when the state hits this next target, there will be “very few rules.”
“That is about as protected as we are ever going to be,” he said.
At 90%, all caps and density quotas will be removed for all settings while masks will only remain mandatory indoors in some high-risk settings like hospitals, aged care, and public transport.
There will be no restrictions for indoor and outdoor events as long as they comply with COVIDSafe measures and follow vaccination certification protocols.
However, events with lots of children expected to be present may remain unavailable as those under the age of 12 still can’t get vaccinated.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.