Victorian playgrounds will reopen and the five-kilometre travel limit extended as the Victorian government prepares to announce a road map out of the state’s sixth lockdown on Wednesday afternoon.
However, senior government sources have confirmed the 9pm to 5am curfew will remain in place.
Victorian playgrounds are set to be reopened - again.Credit:
The modest easing of restrictions will be announced the same day that Victoria recorded 120 new local cases of coronavirus.
It is the highest number of new cases recorded across the state in more than a year – there were 149 new cases recorded on August 26 during the state’s deadly second wave – and comes a day after Victoria recorded two COVID-19 deaths, the first in the state this year.
But Premier Daniel Andrews conceded on Tuesday that the mental health effects of the latest lockdown had been “bloody tough”.
Mr Andrews spent Tuesday evening thrashing out a plan with senior ministers and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton as to which restrictions should ease later this week.
The government will also unveil its road map of restrictions until it reaches the vaccination targets of 70 and 80 per cent.
Schools will not be allowed to reopen under the new measures, but Mr Andrews said he would outline a plan for senior students to return to the classroom.
“Is there a sweet spot; is there that case number that is not zero, but it’s not so high that it inevitably becomes 500, 1000, 1500, 5000?” Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.
Of Wednesday’s new cases, 64 were linked to known cases and outbreaks, which means the source of 56 cases remains a mystery.
There were 56,501 COVID-19 tests processed and 33,455 COVID-19 vaccines administered.
Mr Andrews said that while case numbers would not matter as much when 80 per cent of the population was vaccinated, they mattered a lot right now.
He indicated the case number thresholds would take into account the “narrative” behind cases, including whether they were active while infectious in the community.
Senior government sources previously told The Age ministers should consider reopening playgrounds and allowing year 12 students back into the classroom, as extinguishing the current Delta outbreak was looking highly unlikely.
There are now 900 active coronavirus cases across Victoria.
Victoria records two COVID-19 deaths
Two COVID-19 deaths were reported in Victoria on Tuesday - the first since November 30.
Two women, one aged 49 from Northcote and the other aged in her 60s from Hume, died in their homes.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman confirmed paramedics were called to a home in Northcote about 1.30am on Tuesday. Paramedics returned about 7am for another patient, who was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
“We send our deepest condolences to the families and communities involved – and we will be working with them to give them the support and guidance they need over the coming days,” Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said in his daily update late on Tuesday afternoon.
The deaths were recorded in Wednesday’s official numbers.
With Craig Butt and Melissa Cunningham
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Playgrounds to reopen, 5km limit to be extended as Victoria records 120 new local cases - The Age
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