Ballarat COVID update, Sunday, November 14:

VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Sunday, November 13

NEW CASES: 905 (down from 1,221 yesterday)

DEATHS: 4 (equal to 4 yesterday)

ACTIVE CASES: 17, 302(up from 16,098 yesterday)

IN HOSPITAL: 394(down from 405 yesterday)

IN ICU: 75 (down from 77 yesterday)

ON VENTILATOR: 46 (down from 51 yesterday)

Victoria has added 905 new infections to its COVID-19 caseload while recording another four virus-related deaths.

The state is now managing active virus cases, some 405 of them in hospital care. Seventy five patients are in intensive care, 46 of them requiring ventilation.

Health authorities say testers processed more than 60,000 results on Saturday, while 8498 vaccination doses were administered at state-run clinics.

Victoria is now 87 per cent double vaccinated for everyone aged 12 and over.

In Ballarat, walk-in vaccinations are available from today at the Community Vaccination Clinic at The Mercure, according to Ballarat Health Services, as well as booster shots.

There will also be a pop-up vaccination clinic today (Sunday, November 14) at Ballarat Community Health, 60 Vickers Street, Sebastopol, with walk-ins available.

While more than 17 million Australians or 82.8 per cent of the population aged 16 or over are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the nation's reopening is still a way off.

More than 90 per cent of NSW residents are double dosed, as are 87 per cent of eligible Victorians.

However South Australia (73.5 per cent), Queensland (69.9 per cent) and Western Australia (69.4 per cent) are significantly behind.

And without everyone on the same page, the prospect of unrestricted interstate travel may be a dubious one.

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Doherty Institute modelling, he insists, makes it very clear that achieving an 80 per cent double dose rate should be the main aim. However it might be easier said than done.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath confirmed on Saturday that at 70 per cent full vaccination, visitors from interstate hotspots would, under certain conditions, be able to home quarantine in the Sunshine State.

At 80 per cent, she said they would be welcomed without having to quarantine at all but must be fully vaccinated and with proof of a recent negative test.

While its nominal reopening date is December 17, some Queensland locations are nowhere near 80 per cent fully immunised. The Ipswich suburb of Redbank only crawled past 50 per cent on Friday.

WA remains closed to NSW, Victoria and the ACT and based on the pace of its inoculation program, is likely to remain so until at least late January. It reported barely more than 20,000 new doses administered in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday.

Meanwhile, overseas students should be able to return to Australia by the end of the year as international borders reopen, says Finance Minister Simon Birmingham.

The first chartered plane will touch down in Sydney on December 6 with about 250 students from countries including Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Canada.

On the issue of Australia's contribution to international vaccination efforts, Foreign Minister Marise Payne announced the delivery of 1.2 million doses to Indonesia on Saturday.

The dispatch is part of a pledge to share 10 million shots with Jakarta and up to 60 million doses throughout he Indo-Pacific by the end of 2022.

Victoria reported 1221 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with four deaths. There were 250 infections in NSW and no fatalities for the first time in almost three months.

Earlier this week, Melbourne city council and the state government announced $150 dining rebates in an attempt to lure people back to the CBD.

Many businesses have closed down during the city's extended lockdowns, with non-essential indoor retail reopening a fortnight ago.

As of Friday, just under 93 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over had received at least one vaccine dose and 86 per cent both.

Even so, the deadline has arrived for construction workers to be fully vaccinated to continue working on site.

The controversial mandate, which sparked violent protests across Melbourne in September, requires all tradies to have had two vaccine doses by Saturday.

Victorian aged care workers must also be fully vaccinated by Monday and about one million of the state's essential workers in total will be required to be double-jabbed by November 26.

Anyone with a valid medical exemption will be able to continue working.

The department of health has also noted a change to requirements for fully-vaccinated international travellers and aircrew arriving in the state.

In an update on Twitter, the department says anyone wanting to enter Victoria from overseas must obtain an international vaccination certificate or proof of a medical exemption.

Additionally, those aged over 12 must have tested negative no earlier than 72 hours before departure.

Upon arrival, travellers and crew must be tested within 24 hours and evidence of all of the above must be carried with them for 14 days.

Australian Associated Press

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