It’s a milestone day in Victoria as 80 per cent single dose vaccination targets are reached for those who are eligible, however the state has also recorded 950 new locally acquired cases and seven deaths.

Despite meeting vaccination targets, the state has surpassed New South Wales in daily COVID cases. On Monday, NSW recorded 787 new COVID cases, whereas Victoria hit 845, and on Tuesday NSW had 863 cases compared to Victoria’s 867.

The seven new deaths bring the number of active cases in Victoria to 9890 with the death toll from the current outbreak at 32.

The La Trobe Valley region, which encompasses the Gippsland towns of Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, has been plunged into a seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm Tuesday to curb the growing outbreak that is believed to be linked to an illegal household gathering which took place over the AFL grand final weekend. The residents of these regions, where 18 active cases have been recorded, are now living under the same restrictions as Melburnians, however there is no lockdown in place.

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More freedoms

On a more positive front, Victoria is set to hit its single-dose vaccination target, and will be rewarded with a slight easing of freedoms.

Among the changes coming into effect today are:

  • An expansion of the travel restriction from 10 kilometres to 15 kilometres.
  • Contactless sports are now allowed, such as boating, tennis and golf.
  • Personal training is now allowed at gyms in groups of five fully vaccinated people in an outdoor space, provided the trainer is also vaccinated.
  • Playground restrictions will ease with masks to be removed to eat and drink

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Regional restrictions will also lift:

  • Hospitality venues will see the cap on diners increase from 20 to 30 people outdoors.
  • Masks can remove for services that require it, such as facials and beard trimming

Looking to the future

An announcement has been made that schools will begin the transition to online learning from 5 October, and larger changes are set to occur once 70 per cent of the state are double vaccinated – a figure set to come into place in late October.