Hospitality workers must be fully-vaxxed by Friday, government takes firm stance

Despite being initially under the impression staff had until November 29 to be double-vaccinated, the hospitality industry has been told there is no wriggle room on the issue.

This comes despite health care workers and teachers only needing a first jab by this time.

It is also despite online health directions stating authorised workers, including hospitality, must have one dose of a vaccine by October 22, with a second dose required by November 26.

When questioned at today's press conference, COVID Commander Jeroen Weimar took a firm stance.

"There is no wriggle room because the reason we are opening up from midnight tomorrow night is because the vast majority of us are fully vaccinated," Mr Weimar said.

"We would expect the people that are now being asked to please come back into work are the first ones to have got themselves organised to get themselves fully vaccinated so that they can serve their customers.

"It does not seem an unreasonable proposition to me."

Mr Weimar said businesses had known for some time that vaccination was going to be a requirement among staff.

The hospitality industry had been of the understanding that staff needed to have their first dose by October 15 and their second dose by November 26, in accordance with the vaccine mandate announced on October 1.

"If seven out of 10 of us are vaccinated, finding people to work should not be the barrier in the way," Mr Weimar said.

"We have been talking about vaccination for the last six months and we have been talking about the critical relationship between the vaccination thresholds and opening up since the beginning of August and September.

"So we have all had a long time to get used to this.

The sheer number of people getting vaccinated every day - close to 100,000 now getting vaccinated every day - indicates that we have all got the message that we need to get vaccinated."

Update, 11.30am: There were 153 new COVID-19 cases recorded in regional Victoria overnight.

They include 21 new cases in Greater Geelong, which are all connected to known cases and exposure sites, Victorian COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said.

786 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19; 147 are in intensive care and 97 are on a ventilator.

Of the cases in hospital yesterday, 89 per cent were not fully vaccinated and, of those cases in intensive care, 96 per cent were not fully vaccinated.

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Victoria reported 12 more COVID-19 deaths: a woman in her 50s, a man in his 70s, three men and two women in their 80s, three men and a woman in their 90s and a man in his 100s.

From Friday if you're a workplace contact or a social contact of a positive case and you're fully vaccinated - you only have to quarantine for seven days.

This is backdated and applies to anyone in isolation right now.

The lineup for October 30's 'Play On Victoria' live music event has been revealed.

The show will be headlined by Baker Boy, Vika and Linda Bull, Grace Cummings, Amyl & the Sniffers and King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard.

Almost 4000 fully-vaccinated Victorians will be able to attend the concert at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.

Patrons will be spread across the venue in allocated seats and picnic areas, and will be required to wear a mask unless they are eating or drinking.

More than 1.8 million Victorians have now successfully uploaded their vaccine certificate to the Service Victoria check-in app, Creative Industries Minister Danny Pearson said.

Mr Pearson says vaccine passports will be required for entry into the concert.

"When you go to the Bowl on the night you will be able to quickly and easily show the security guards that you have checked in, and that you are fully vaccinated.

"Today is the day we start to see the sun rising over the horizon, in the distance, beckoning us back to the things that we love most."

"The things we want to go back and do, we want to see live music, we want to go to the NGV, we want to take our kids to the museum."

Tickets will cost $29.90 and will be available on Ticketek from 3pm Friday.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has declared that Australia has hit its 70 per cent double vaccination milestone for eligible adults over the age of 16.

In total, over 33 million jabs have been administered.

Earlier, 9am: Victoria recorded 1841 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to midnight.

There were 78,928 tests conducted during the period, which was up on yesterday's 68,702 tests.

Across the state, 38,881 COVID-19 vaccines were administered bringing the total vaccines given to 4,273,258.

IN OTHER NEWS:

From midnight on Wednesday, those in NSW who are fully vaccinated can travel to Victoria without needing to quarantine.

Relaxed requirements now apply to fully vaccinated travellers who have been in red or orange zones and the border bubble has been reinstated for Broken Hill and Shepparton.

From midnight Victoria scrapped red zones that applied to Greater Sydney areas so anyone who has been in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong can now enter Victoria on an orange zone permit, without any quarantine or testing.

Anyone who isn't vaccinated requires a permit, must isolate, get tested within 72 hours and stay isolated until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result.

- with Australian Associated Press