Covid-19 Australia: Victoria records 1,903 cases as state prepares to leave lockdown

Victoria reports 1,903 new Covid cases and seven deaths as the state prepares to exit its sixth lockdown

  • Victoria recorded 1,903 new Covid-19 cases as state prepares to leave lockdown
  • State will also scrap hotel quarantine for double-jabbed overseas arrivals 
  • Premier Daniel Andrews said travellers will need to quarantine at their home 


Victoria has recorded 1,903 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight as the state prepares for an early exit from its long-running sixth lockdown.

Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom.

From 11.59pm on Thursday, all restrictions for leaving home will be abolished, along with the city’s nightly curfew.

The state is also preparing to scrap hotel quarantine for international travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

However, Premier Daniel Andrews says Victoria will not follow NSW in abolishing quarantine altogether for double-dosed international arrivals from November 1.

Victoria has recorded 1,903 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight as the state prepares for an early exit from its long-running sixth lockdown

Victoria has recorded 1,903 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight as the state prepares for an early exit from its long-running sixth lockdown

Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom

Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom

The state is also preparing to scrap hotel quarantine for international travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19

The state is also preparing to scrap hotel quarantine for international travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19

Instead, he has foreshadowed travellers will be able to isolate at home for fewer than 14 days.

‘It will be less,’ he told Seven’s Sunrise. ‘If you are double-dose vaccinated, you will be able to quarantine at home and hotel quarantine will be a thing of the past.’

The premier has also confirmed Victoria will not lock down the entire state moving forward and instead opt for targeted restrictions in ‘very narrow circumstances’.

‘No more statewide lockdowns. What we are moving away from is instead of locking people down, we are locking people out,’ he said.

‘If you are not double-dose vaccinated, you won’t be able to go to the pub.’

Some 32,405 vaccines were administered and 69,825 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

Haircuts as well as a parma and pot will be back on the menu as lockdown ends five days earlier than previously planned in line with the state reaching its 70 per cent double-dose vaccination target.

Up to 10 visitors will be allowed in a home per day, but retail and gyms in metropolitan Melbourne have to remain closed.

Hairdressing and beauty salons will be able to open for up to five fully vaccinated people at a time.

Pubs, clubs and entertainment venues will be able to open to 20 fully vaccinated customers indoors, and 50 doubled-dosed people outdoors.

Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom (pictured a cafe in Carlton's Lygon Street dining strip)

Phones will be running hot for pubs, hairdressers and restaurants on Monday as fully vaccinated Melburnians race for a taste of freedom (pictured a cafe in Carlton’s Lygon Street dining strip)

From 11.59pm on Thursday, all restrictions for leaving home will be abolished, along with the city's nightly curfew

From 11.59pm on Thursday, all restrictions for leaving home will be abolished, along with the city’s nightly curfew 

'Bring forward the haircut and tell Mum you'll be round for dinner,' Daniel Andrews captioned his state's revised roadmap out of lockdown (pictured)

‘Bring forward the haircut and tell Mum you’ll be round for dinner,’ Daniel Andrews captioned his state’s revised roadmap out of lockdown (pictured)

Changes will also be made to isolation orders, with fully vaccinated people who are identified as a primary close contact of a confirmed case they do not live with having to quarantine for seven days rather than 14.

Restrictions will ease further when 80 per cent of the eligible population has received both vaccine doses, forecast by some data analysts to be as early as October 31. 

There was already overwhelming demand for restaurant tables even before the state’s roadmap out of lockdown was fast-tracked. 

CBD restaurant  Pepe’s Italian & Liquor is already booked out on Friday and Saturday nights for the rest of 2021.

Popular eatery Buono is among the many restaurants which have introduced multiple dinner sittings on Friday and Saturday nights.

‘People just want to go out – they don’t care if it’s outside or inside,’ co-owner Cinzia Buono told goodfood.com.au last week.

Gimlet marketing manager Loren Daniels added: ‘People are so pumped that they’re more flexible than ever.

VICTORIA FAST-TRACKS ROADMAP

Victoria’s lockdown will end at 11.59pm Thursday with a raft of eased restrictions. 

* Reasons to leave home and curfew no longer in place

* 10 people including dependents can visit a home each day

* 15 people can gather outdoors

* Pubs, clubs and entertainment venues can open to 20 fully vaccinated people indoors and 50 fully vaccinated people outdoors

* Funerals and weddings allowed for 20 fully vaccinated indoors and 50 fully vaccinated outdoors

* All students to return to school at least part-time

* Hairdressing and beauty salons to open for up to five fully vaccinated people at a time. 

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