Covid-19 Australia: Daniel Andrews reveals no plan yet to open state to unvaccinated residents

Dan Andrews takes a shot at Gladys for giving freedoms to the unvaccinated by December – and says he has no plans to go down the same path

• Daniel Andrews revealed he has no plans to reopen state to the unvaccinated
• Comment came after NSW premier revealed roadmap for her state on Monday
• Gladys Berejiklian intends to ease restrictions for all residents on December 1 

By Aidan Wondracz For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 03:38 BST, 27 September 2021 | Updated: 04:08 BST, 27 September 2021

Daniel Andrews has revealed he has no plans to reopen his state to unvaccinated residents like NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian intends to do in December. 

The Victorian premier made the dig at Ms Berejiklian after she released her roadmap out of lockdown for NSW on Monday.

She intends to further ease restrictions for the double-jabbed when the state hits its 80 per cent vaccination target in October, then expand the freedoms to all residents – regardless of vaccination status – on December 1. 

Mr Andrews said he believed the five week window would dissuade residents from getting the vaccination and hinder efforts to reach the vaccination milestone.  

‘There is every reason to get vaccinated now. I would not give anyone a reason to wait five or six weeks,’ he said. 

Daniel Andrews has revealed he has no plans to reopen his state to unvaccinated residents like NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian intends to do in December

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the premier said he did not want to encourage residents from putting off the jab by giving them the same freedoms as their vaccinated counterparts

‘I don’t think that is a certainty. 10 per cent of the community is still a very large number of people.’

His comment came after Ms Berejiklian released the ‘Freedom Day’ roadmap on Monday. 

She intends to ease a raft of restrictions for fully-vaccinated residents on the Monday after the state hits the 80 per cent vaccination milestone – which is projected for October 25.

Restrictions will then be eased for all residents, regardless of vaccination status, less than five weeks later on December 1. 

Mr Andrews said he would not feel comfortable reopening the state to everyone even if 90 per cent of residents were double jabbed.

‘The overall percentage of the community that don’t have the protection of one or two doses even at 90% is a significant number,’ he said. 

Restrictions, including a return to golf and tennis, will ease slightly across the state on Wednesday, with Victoria expected to pass 80 per cent single dose vaccination coverage on Tuesday.

The next round of eased restrictions will focus on the return of Victorian students to onsite learning, a date earmarked for October 6.

Leaked planning documents from the Department of Education obtained by the Herald Sun have revealed the tough rules school children may expect next month.

All Victorian students aged over 12 could be required to have one dose of a vaccine ‘to attend school by 2022’ while those in Year 11 and 12 will need two.

His comment came after Ms Berejiklian released the ‘Freedom Day’ roadmap on Monday

Premier Daniel Andrews said while the changes were ‘modest’, the state is getting closer to the end of lockdown.

Residents of locked down areas will be able to travel 15km from home, up from 10, while patron caps in regional venues will increase from 20 to 30.

There was also good news for the city of Geelong, which will be released from lockdown at midnight, despite the diagnosis of six new cases on Saturday. All cases were linked.

One of the considerations under the new schooling frameworks – which are not yet finalised or confirmed – is scrapping excursions, camps, assemblies and performances. 

More to come 

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