Melbourne has claimed the unwanted title of the world’s most locked down city, as Victoria halves its Pfizer coronavirus vaccine interval to hasten reopening.
The state capital on Monday chalked up 246 days living under stay-at-home orders across six lockdowns, surpassing the record set by Buenos Aires.
Premier Daniel Andrews says he is proud of the sacrifices Melburnians have made over the pandemic and is calling on them to make a final push before lockdown ends in coming weeks.
“We are going to get past this. We are going to end this lockdown and open up, and all that we will enjoy then will be a result of all that we have given,” he told reporters on Sunday.
Victoria is forecast to hit 70 per cent vaccination coverage of its 16-plus population on October 26, triggering the end of lockdown under the state’s roadmap before restrictions ease further at 80 per cent.
Mr Andrews is hopeful the reduction of the second dose Pfizer interval in state-run clinics from six to three weeks from Monday will speed up meeting those targets.
It comes after intensive care nurses made an impassioned plea for Victorians to get vaccinated as the state reported 1220 new locally-acquired cases and three deaths on Sunday.
There are 476 Victorians in hospital battling the virus, up 48 from Saturday, with 98 people in ICU and 57 requiring a ventilator.
Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU nurse unit manager Michelle Spence said patients were “begging” for the vaccine before being placed on life support, including a man in his 30s with no underlying conditions.
According to Burnett Institute modelling, hospitalisations are expected to hit 1200 to 2500 after daily cases peak up to 2900 in mid- to late-October.
A “second epidemic peak” in mid-December is also forecast after restrictions ease, which could push hospitalisations over 2500.
Meanwhile, three Victorian students have tested positive after 3000 were processed on Saturday as part of targeted testing of COVID-hit areas for Tuesday’s repeatedly rescheduled General Achievement Test.
AAP
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