Daniel Andrews has revealed the Victorian government is planning to transition from lockdowns to lockouts as the state nears vaccination targets.
Around 35% of Victorians have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 70% of the state set to have received their first dose by September 23.
Andrews has previously said that when 70% of the state receives their first dose, the government will begin slightly relaxing their lockdown restrictions, namely expanding the five-kilometre radius and extending exercising hours.
However, Andrews today confirmed that the government is working on transitioning lockdown rules from their current blanket coverage, to targeting those who are unvaccinated.
What you need to know
- The Victorian government is planning to transition from lockdowns to ‘lockouts’
- It’s a shift towards targeting unvaccinated Melburnians as the economy reopens
- Vaccine passports are currently in discussion by the federal government’s national cabinet
Stay up to date with what’s happening in Melbourne here.
“When we get to those vaccination double dose thresholds, as part of the national plan, the notion of a lockdown for the whole community is far less relevant,” he said.
“What will become a bigger part of our response is a lockout of many venues for those who are not vaccinated.
“That might seem a bit harsh, but I‘ve said this before and I will make the point again, I am not going to lock down the whole state to protect people who wouldn’t protect themselves.”
The Victorian government, along with its counterparts in the Northern Territory and Tasmania, has presented a report on the feasability of a vaccine passport system to the federal government.
The implementation of the system, which will consist of scannable QR codes signalling your vaccination status, is now being discussed by the national cabinet.
Although there is bi-partisan support for vaccine passports, multiple Coalition MPs have expressed their disapproval for the system, which has been successfully rolled out across Israel, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
However the Andrews government is insistent on pushing forward with the tailored restrictions.
“We will have a situation where the economy is operating for the vaccinated,” Andrews said.
“Not everywhere and not at full capacity, but some outdoor drinking and dining – things like that – will be absolutely possible and the preference will be it may only be for those who are double-dosed vaccinated.”
Read more about the government’s roadmap for exiting lockdown restrictions here.
