Victoria's new Covid cases have dropped again to 1,466, about 500 below a peak of 1,965, raising hopes the outbreak might be on the way out.
Falling numbers are likely to be partly caused by the vaccine rollout gathering pace with 59.3 per cent of Victorians fully vaccinated.
Another 36,383 vaccine doses were administered at state-run facilities and the new cases were diagnosed from 68,509 tests.
However, eight people died after testing positive to Covid, and many more fatalities are expected with the greatest strain on hospitals still to come.
But long-suffering Victorians will still be out of lockdown in time for summer, ministers have vowed, as hospitals take unprecedented steps to protect the public from the ongoing Covid outbreak.
Health Minister Martin Foley has promised to let Victorians free of lockdown in time for summer (pictured: people walking through St Kilda on Sunday)
The lockdown is scheduled to end on October 26, but tighter restrictions will remain as Victoria's roadmap takes a slower path to normality.
Health Minister Martin Foley said he was confident Melbourne would be rid of stay-at-home-orders within weeks, with pubs, shops, restaurants and gyms given the green light to reopen their doors.
Melbourne overtook Buenos Aires as the most locked down country on earth in late September, moving past Argentina's capital and their 234 days stuck at home, but Mr Foley says the end is on the horizon for the fully-vaccinated.
'With Victoria preparing to open in time for summer, based on our implementation of the national plan for reopening, we'll also be launching today a new campaign to remind everyone that your vaccination is your ticket,' he said.
Meanwhile, one Victorian hospital is opening up extra intensive care wings in preparation for a spike in cases when the state re-opens.
Melbourne hospitals are creating extra ICU units to deal with an influx of Covid patients as the Delta outbreak ravages the city
Victoria is set to hit the 70 per cent vaccination rate threshold on October 24, nearly two weeks after their New South Wales counterparts who escaped lockdown on Monday.
It too will enjoy an easing of restrictions when that milestone is reached.
The state has battled several Delta outbreaks, with the latest seeing Victoria register an Australian record of 1,965 cases on a single day last week.
Those figures dropped to 1,612 on Monday, with Mr Foley saying they are moving towards installing the roadmap to move out of lockdowns.
'As we announced as part of the Victorian roadmap to deliver the National Plan and to protect the community and the health system, we know that the safest way to do that is to apply those measures to Victorians who are vaccinated,' he said.
'So if you are not vaccinated, these freedoms will not apply in the same way as they will to those Victorians who are vaccinated.'
He also said it's 'time to throw
