To try to keep the state on its path out of lockdown, the premier announced that by Friday 15 October, all authorised workers across Victoria must have had at least one vaccine dose.
They must be fully vaccinated by 26 November.
“This is critically important to keep the case numbers down so that we can open up on 26 October, get our freedom back, get the economy going again, and deliver the national plan,” the premier said.
"This is advice from both the Burnet Institute and advice from the acting chief health officer and the public health team and, as all Victorians know and understand, if we are provided with that advice that we follow that advice.
"The science is what will get us through this and it is incredibly important that people who have not had a first dose and are an authorised worker are moving, are out and about, are part of all of that movement that we know is so challenging when it comes to the spread of this virus."
By 26 October, 70 per cent of the eligible population is expected to be fully vaccinated.
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Friday's deaths included a man in his 80s, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 70s.
There are 395 people currently in hospital with COVID-19, of which 87 are in intensive care and 59 are on a ventilator.
Mr Andrews said only 5 per cent of those in hospital were fully vaccinated.
"The key point here is only a tiny number of people who become gravely ill have had a first and a second dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines," he said on Friday.
Authorities blame Thursday's rise in caseload on illegal gatherings in Melbourne over the AFL grand final long weekend.
Health authorities believe at least 500 of Thursday's cases are linked to AFL gatherings and are urging anyone who attended one to get tested, whether they or their companions are displaying symptoms or not.
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COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said on Thursday if the jump in numbers becomes a trend, Victoria will go from being just below the Burnet Institute's roadmap-linked case projections to the worst scenario of up to 2,900 daily infections by late October.
"We know that everyone is fatigued, tired of this. But today is a significant setback in how we manage this outbreak," Mr Weimar told reporters.
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To help bring the 80 per cent fully vaccinated benchmark forward, the time between Pfizer vaccine doses will be halved to three weeks in Victoria.
The interval change kicks in from Monday, allowing anyone who has received their first Pfizer dose to bring forward their second. The state's vaccine booking system will be updated overnight on Sunday.
There will also be a shift in 88,000 Moderna vaccines from community pharmacies to state clinics to hasten the rollout, with pharmacists struggling to cope with the sudden demand.
Despite the federal government expanding Pfizer eligibility to Australians over 60 from Friday, the change is not being implemented in Victoria's state-run hubs.
For a list of Victoria's exposure sites, click here.
With SBS News
Victoria reports 1,143 new local COVID-19 cases and three more deaths - SBS News
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