Victoria has recorded the deaths of 11 more people with Covid-19 and 1935 new cases of the virus ahead of an announcement about the next steps out of lockdown.
Photo: AFP
More than 73 percent of Victorians aged 16 and above have now had both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
The new infections were found from 69,624 tests processed on Saturday, which was Melbourne's second day out of lockdown.
It brings the number of active infections in the state to 24,993.
There are now 787 people in Victorian hospitals with Covid-19, suggesting a "welcome" plateau discussed by authorities yesterday has continued.
There are 146 people receiving intensive care, including 93 people on a ventilator.
The deaths of 11 people bring the toll for this outbreak to 223.
Vaccination to bring greater freedoms in Victoria
City and country Victoria will reunite under the same Covid-19 restrictions from Friday and much greater freedoms will be granted once the state hits a 90 percent vaccination milestone, the government has announced.
More than 73 percent of Victorians aged 16 and above have now had both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
It brings the state closer to an 80 percent target, which the government said was likely to be hit on Friday 29 October.
From 6pm on that date, the border around Melbourne will be dropped, allowing Victorians to travel anywhere in the state ahead of the Melbourne Cup weekend.
Masks will no longer be mandatory in outdoor settings where social distancing is possible and entertainment and retail venues can re-open from 6pm.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews also unveiled the plan for once 90 percent of Victorians aged 12 and above have been vaccinated, a milestone expected to be hit on Wednesday 24 November.
At this point, there will be no caps or density quotients in any settings, and masks will only be mandatory at certain high-risk settings.
NSW records 296 new cases, four deaths
New South Wales has recorded 296 new community cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night and four more deaths.
There are now 480 people in hospital with Covid-19 in New South Wales with 119 of them in ICU.
In NSW, 93 percent of people over the age of 16 have now had the first dose of a vaccine, while 84.4 percent are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, nine new community cases of Covid-19 were recorded in ACT and Queensland today reported no community cases of Covid-19.
- ABC