VICTORIANS have been warned COVID-19 case numbers could hit fresh highs as Melbourne reopens after its sixth lockdown.<\/p>\n
With stay-at-home orders repealed from today, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said infections would likely rise and urged people to follow check-in and mask rules.<\/p>\n
“There will be more COVID in the community really than at any other point in time,” he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Of more than 23,000 active cases in the state,\u00a0784 are in hospital battling COVID-19 including\u00a0145 in intensive care.<\/p>\n
Some 88 per cent of COVID-19 patients in hospital are not fully vaccinated, while 94 per cent of those in ICU are not double-dosed.<\/p>\n
Premier Daniel Andrews said further boosting vaccination rates would be crucial to protecting the health system.<\/p>\n
“Those numbers tell you the story. They tell you the only story you need to know: if you get vaccinated, you will not finish up in hospital,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews confirmed Victoria is poised to pass its 80 per cent full vaccination target next weekend, prompting further easing of restrictions.<\/p>\n
“We will be out quite soon to clarify what we hope can happen at the end of next\u00a0week,” he said.<\/p>\n
It comes as Melburnians taste freedom for the first time in months.<\/p>\n
When the clock stuck midnight, loud cheering and applause broke out from apartment buildings and in the streets.<\/p>\n
City dwellers didn’t waste any time, dropping into pubs and restaurants to celebrate with a late-night drink or feed.<\/p>\n
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp was among late-night revellers to check in at Angel Music Bar on Bourke Street, saying she didn’t want to miss the moment.<\/p>\n
“The buzz is officially back,” she tweeted.<\/p>\n
Hairdresser Joey Scandizzo opened his South Yarra salon at midnight to five lucky people for a makeover before getting straight back to business on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The salon, which would normally service 100 clients a day, has 40 bookings for Friday due to restrictions only allowing five patrons at a time.<\/p>\n
Their phones have been ringing off the hook and the salon is already booked out until December.<\/p>\n
“People are booking their appointments now and then booking the next one just because of the backlog,” Mr Scandizzo told AAP.<\/p>\n
Customer Emma said she couldn’t get through over the phone but was slotted in after dropping in on a whim.<\/p>\n
As a health worker, she is slightly anxious about the city reopening.<\/p>\n
Amie Mita, owner of Skin Essentials beautician in Elwood, said eyebrow shaping is the most popular service since swinging the doors open.<\/p>\n
She hopes mask rules for beauticians are eased in the coming months and businesses are not tasked with checking vaccine passports for too long.<\/p>\n
“It’s nerve-racking, you’re apprehensive to know what people are going to say and not knowing how to deal with it if it goes wrong,” Ms\u00a0Mita said.<\/p>\n
The premier enjoyed a wine with wife Cath as part of a mother’s group this morning, and urged people to be patient as hospitality workers navigate the “vaccinated economy”.<\/p>\n
“There’s bound to be a few issues here with check-ins and queuing and those sorts of things,” Mr Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Melbourne’s latest lockdown lasted 77 days and its residents have endured 263 days under stay-at-home orders since March 2020.<\/p>\n
Victoria recorded 2189 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths on Friday, the highest daily tally of the state’s third wave.<\/p>\n
The latest deaths lift the toll from this outbreak to 203.<\/p>\n
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