Home

Unvaccinated Victorians face restrictions well into 2022, Daniel Andrews warns

Anthony PiovesanNCA NewsWire
Not Supplied
Camera IconNot Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia

Daniel Andrews has warned Victorians who choose not to be vaccinated against Covid-19 without a valid reason face restrictions well into next year.

NSW has a flagged a looming vaccine reprieve, with unvaccinated residents able to enjoy the same freedoms as vaccinated people from December 1.

When asked if Victoria would consider a similar approach the Premier said he “didn’t think so”.

“For example, the Grand Prix is in April, I don’t think there will be crowds at the Grand Prix made up of people who have not been double dosed,” he said.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“Please don’t play the game of ‘let’s just wait this out and then we will be able to do everything we want to do’. No, that will not be the case.

“If you make that choice it will be a very long wait and you will not out-wait this virus.

“I’m not going to say to someone: Just wait us out, just wait for five weeks and then you will be able to go to the pub.

“If you make the judgement to not get vaccinated and you reckon you can wait out … you won’t wait out the virus, because the virus will be here for a long time and your only protection against it as being vaccinated.

“This will be well into 2022.”

Covid Presser
Camera IconVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews says third boosters will need to be rolled out soon. NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: NCA NewsWire

Mr Andrews also raised the issue of Covid-19 booster shots, saying the rollout of third jabs once they were ready would add another step to the vaccine program.

“We will need booster shots, particularly for our older Victorians who were the first people to get the shot, we will have to do that quite soon,” he said.

Victoria recorded 1749 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections and 11 deaths on Tuesday.

About 88.5 per cent of Victorians above the age of 16 have received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 66.7 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Of the 11 new deaths, two women and two men were in their 70s, four men were in their 80s, two men were in their 90s and one woman was in her 100s.

More than 68,700 tests were received on Monday, while state hubs administered 36,751 vaccine doses.

There were 784 Victorians in hospital with Covid-19, with 149 of those in intensive care and 100 patients on a ventilator.

Of the cases in hospital yesterday, 88 per cent were not fully vaccinated and of the cases in intensive care yesterday, 96 per cent were not fully vaccinated.

Covid Casey
Camera IconAbout 66.7 per cent of Victorians above the age of 16 are fully vaccinated. NCA NewsWire/Daniel Pockett Credit: News Corp Australia

Melbourne and parts of regional Victoria will emerge from lockdown on 11.59pm on Thursday night, with the state expected to hit its 70 per cent double vaccination rate by then.

Restrictions to leave home as well as the curfew will be scrapped.

There will be no travel limit within metropolitan Melbourne, but authorised travel to enter regional Victoria will still be required.

Ten visitors, including dependants, will be able to visit someone’s home per day.

There will also be a staggered return of grade 3 and year 11 students in metropolitan Melbourne schools from Friday.

Originally published as Unvaccinated Victorians face restrictions well into 2022, Daniel Andrews warns

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails