Benjamin Millar
Victoria’s roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown has been revealed as the number of active COVID-19 cases in the Melton area grows to almost 200.
Premier Daniel Andrews released the long-awaited roadmap to freedom on Sunday, promising a gradual easing of restrictions as vaccination targets were met but warning a surge in hospitalisations could slow down the rate of changes.
“Opening up too soon – before people had the chance to get the jab – would mean our hospital system simply could not cope and catastrophic numbers of Victorians would become seriously unwell,” he said.
“However, as more and more Victorians get that protection, we move to the next phase of the pandemic and we have the opportunity to open up.”
Based on expert modelling from the Burnet Institute, the next main trigger for easing in metropolitan areas comes when 80 per cent of the population aged 16 or over have a single vaccine dose – predicted to be reached by September 26.
Some VCE and VCAL students would return to the classroom from October 6 and Preps and Year 1 and 2 students would return part-time from October 18.
Other year groups are due back part-time and a number of other business and activity restrictions would ease when 70 per cent of people aged 16-plus are double vaccinated, expected around October 26.
By November 5 school could be back to normal on-site learning and metropolitan and regional Victoria would move to the same settings, allowing the return of travel around the state.
The roadmap comes as 567 new active cases were reported on Sunday, bringing the total number to almost 6000.
There were 204 people in hospital, including 55 in ICU.
There were 203 active cases in the Melton local government area by Monday and a further five in Moorabool.
Of the local active cases, 83 were in the postcode of 3023, 64 in 3037, 23 in 3337, 22 in 3338, 22 in 3427, 15 in 3335 and five in 3340.
