Victoria records 1,838 new local COVID-19 cases and seven further deaths

Victoria has recorded 1,838 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and seven deaths.

Melburnians are on Sunday expected to learn when their long-running sixth lockdown will lift, with Victoria on track to reach its 70 per cent COVID-19 vaccination target this week.

Under Victoria’s reopening roadmap, the city’s lockdown – which has run for 73 days – was due to end on 26 October, the predicted date when 70 per cent of those aged over 16 would be double-dosed.

But the state could reach that milestone as early as Thursday thanks to soaring second-dose rates.

The latest data shows 88.05 per cent of Victoria’s over-16 population have had one vaccine dose and 65.02 per cent both.

It was revealed on Saturday a COVID-positive 15-year-old girl had become the youngest victim of Victoria’s third wave.

Police also squashed another would-be anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine protest in Melbourne on Saturday.

Officers significantly outnumbered the wannabe demonstrators, several of whom were arrested as they attempted to gather at Princes Park in Carlton North.

Organisers flagged other meeting locations using an encrypted social media channel before calling it quits.

Source: sbs.com.au