Coronavirus Australia: Victoria's lockdown lifted as Dan Andrews amends roadmap ...

Coronavirus Australia: Victoria's lockdown lifted as Dan Andrews amends roadmap ...
Coronavirus Australia: Victoria's lockdown lifted as Dan Andrews amends roadmap ...

Victorians holed up in their sixth lockdown are days away from their first taste of freedom in months.

The state recorded 1,838 new Covid-19 cases and seven more deaths on Sunday as vaccination rates surge towards the 70 per cent double-dose milestone. 

Surging vaccination rates have promoted Premier Daniel Andrews to fast-track freedoms in its roadmap out of lockdown and tweak previously announced eased restrictions.

Melbourne will be lifted from lockdown at 11.59pm Thursday.

The travel limit will be abolished, while residents can have up to 10 fully vaccinated visitors at their homes. 

Outdoor gathering limits will increase from 10 to 15 for the fully vaccinated.

Fully vaccinated Melburnians are one week away from enjoying eased restrictions (pictured woman kicking a ball around at Carlton's Princes Park)

Fully vaccinated Melburnians are one week away from enjoying eased restrictions (pictured woman kicking a ball around at Carlton's Princes Park)

The 15km travel limit is expected to be scrapped as part of the eased restrictions (pictured a surfer at Williamstown Beach on Saturday)

The 15km travel limit is expected to be scrapped as part of the eased restrictions (pictured a surfer at Williamstown Beach on Saturday)

'I could not be more proud of our community for coming forward and making these decisions to protect themselves, to protect the people they love, and to protect all of us against this global pandemic,' the Premier said on Sunday.

'To allow us to change the rules to open up, to normalise this, to get our friends back, to be focused on living our lives as close to normal as possible.' 

The move comes one week after millions of fully vaccinated NSW residents enjoyed their taste of freedom in 106 days, where the 80 per cent double dose rate was hit on Saturday. 

Around 73,501 Victorians came forward for testing on Saturday as jabs administrated surge towards the five million mark.

Around 88.05 per cent of Victoria's over-16 population have had one vaccine dose while 65.02 per cent have had both doses. 

Today is the day to congratulate and thank every single one of those five million Victorians who have at least got one dose. Of course there is more to do,' Mr Andrews said

'We’ve got to get to that 70 per cent double dose threshold, we’ve got to push beyond that and get to 80 per cent pleasingly.'

The seven deaths takes the toll from the current COVID-19 outbreak to 145 and follows the death of a 15-year-old girl with underlying conditions announced on Saturday. 

The state's tally of active cases has climbed to 23,376. 

The Victorians crisis cabinet met on Saturday night to finetune eased restrictions, which will include up to five fully-vaccinated visitors to homes while the Melbourne's 15km travel limit will be scrapped, The Sunday Herald Sun reported.

Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to announce more details about the updated roadmap at Sunday's daily Covid briefing, where Melburnians are set to learn when their long-running sixth lockdown will lift. 

Around 100,000 Victorians who have had their first jab will get a phone call this week to fast-track their second dose (pictured a pop up vaccination clinic in Melbourne on Saturday)

Around 100,000 Victorians who have had their first jab will get a phone call this week

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