Victoria has recorded 1,841 new local cases of COVID-19 and another 12 deaths ahead of lockdown ending at 11.59pm tomorrow.
There were another 38,881 vaccine doses administered yesterday, with the state on track to hit its 70 per cent vaccination milestone tomorrow.
The vaccination rate currently stands at 69.28 per cent double dose.
Premier Daniel Andrews has warned the lockdown will turn into a “lockout” tomorrow, where unvaccinated Victorians could be denied freedoms well into next year.
Mr Andrews said unvaccinated people would likely be refused entry to attend pubs, restaurants and major sporting events “well and truly” into next year.
“I’m not going to say to someone, ‘just wait four or five weeks, then you can go to the pub’ – no – this will be well and truly into 2022,” he said.
The premier gave the example of the Grand Prix yesterday, saying he could not imagine unvaccinated people being able to attend the event in April next year.
“The Grand Prix is in April, I don’t think there will be crowds at the Grand Prix made up of people who have not been double dosed,” he said.
“It will not be anytime soon.”
Meanwhile, the vaccine mandate has prompted a bungle in the hospitality sector, meaning a number of venues will have to push back their reopening date.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety incorrectly advised staff would only need to have one dose by Friday in order to come to work.
But Mr Andrews yesterday said that was not true – they would need to be fully vaccinated – despite the deadline for the authorised worker jab being November 26.
The bungle means some hospitality venues will be hit by staff shortages.
Victorian president of the Australian Hotels Association David Canny slammed the contradictory advice as “absolutely ludicrous” on 3AW this morning.
“We told our members very clearly … that they had until the end of this week to get their first jab and then another month to get the second, and that was the advice we were given,” he told Neil Mitchell.
