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- Victoria commences its vaccine passport trial as the state prepares to live under a COVID-normal life
- Vaccinated regional Victorians will be able to go to the cinema, a café, gym and much mor, as long as they show proof of vaccination
- If this trial is successful, the technology will be used for major events such as the Melbourne Cup, where the state is allowing 10,000 crowd
- In vaccination news, Pfizer and Moderna will now be available to all eligible Victorians at vaccination clinics
- Victoria has recorded 1612 new local COVID-19 cases and eight deaths
Victoria has commenced its vaccine passport trial as the state prepares to live under a COVID-normal life.
From Monday, regional Victoria will test out the vaccine passport technology first at 14 businesses in six local government areas.
These businesses include cinemas, hotels, cafés, as well as a gym, church and a beauty clinic and will be allowed to open to higher numbers of fully vaccinated Victorians.
Customers will need to show proof of vaccination using the Service Victoria app on their smartphones.
The trial of new check-in technology will be a precursor to the system that will roll out more once Victoria reaches the 80 per cent double vaccination for people aged over 16.
If this trial is successful, the technology will be used for major events returning to Victoria, which includes a live music concert later this month and a crowd of 10,000 fans at the Melbourne Cup.
Before COVID-19, “the race that stops a nation” attracted up to 100,000 people, but Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club Neil Wilson is welcoming the small crowd.
“It’s certainly better than zero which is what we had last year,” Mr Wilson told ABC Radio Melbourne.
All patrons attending the cup will need to wear a mask and will be separated in five different sections.
If Victoria reaches its 80 per cent double-dosed vaccination threshold, ten thousand people will be able to attend Oaks Day and Stakes Day.
In vaccination news, Pfizer and Moderna will now be available to all eligible Victorians at vaccination clinics.
Health Minister Martin Foley said this now means anyone over the age of 12 can receive a coronavirus vaccine of their choice at a mass vaccination clinic.
“This change, which is now in effect, has been made possible by the relative certainty we now have for both … Moderna and Pfizer and the extraordinary number of young people who have come forward over the past three and a half weeks,” Mr Foley said during Monday’s COVID-19 update.
“In fact, Victoria is well on the way to becoming one of the world’s most vaccinated jurisdictions.”
Victoria recorded 1612 new local COVID-19 cases and eight deaths on Monday. Around 86 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
