Australia Corona Virus

Daniel Andrews warns the state will stay locked down as Victoria hits vaccine target

Source: Skynews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state has hit one million doses in five weeks, but it is too early to open up the state.

Mr Andrews said the vaccine target had been reached within five weeks, but Victoria had not yet reached 50 per cent double dose.

He said the COVID-19 hospitalisation figures was going to rise as Victoria progresses further with the national plan and the challenge of the community was not to overburden healthcare workers.

“We know there are going to be more people in hospital; that’s an inevitable consequence of delivering the national plan, a plan we helped write, a plan we are faithful to,” he said.

Mr Andrews said he wanted to deliver the national plan “in its entirely,” but vaccination rates had to rise before it could be done, so the health system was not overwhelmed.

“We have to get the numbers up as high as possible before we open up … we can manage, although it will be tough, a pandemic of the unvaccinated if that unvaccinated group is as small as possible,” he said.

“We are not yet at 50 per cent double dose; the notion of opening up now is not only irresponsible, it is dangerous.

“It is not what the national plan calls for, and it is not what our government will do.”