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Eased restrictions imminent for Victorians

Roger Vaughan and Benita KolovosAAP
Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired case of coronavirus.
Camera IconVictoria has recorded no new locally acquired case of coronavirus. Credit: AAP

Victorians are being welcomed back to other states, although they will have to wait until later in the week before COVID-19 restrictions ease at home.

South Australia and Queensland announced on Tuesday they would reopen their borders to Victoria from Friday, in time for the southern state's school holidays.

Tasmania and the Northern Territory opened their borders to Greater Melbourne overnight, while the travel bubble with New Zealand is set to resume from Wednesday.

It comes as Victoria recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, following 13,176 tests.

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Some 15,339 vaccine doses were also administered at state-run hubs in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning.

It's the sixth consecutive day the state has recorded either zero or one new local case, while the number of exposure sites has dropped below 100 to 96.

But Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says it is still too early to announce an easing of restrictions.

"We've still got hundreds of people who are quarantining, we've got scores of exposure sites ... we've lots of tests that we still need to come through today and tomorrow," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"We're absolutely on the right track. I also have strong expectations that we can go that next step, both metro Melbourne and regional Victoria, and that we'll do it this week."

Asked if weddings would be able to proceed this weekend with larger guest lists, Professor Sutton replied: "I expect good news for them."

But he would not be drawn on whether crowds would be allowed at AFL, A-League and NBL games.

"Part of having these couple of days for that further assessment is to go as far as we possibly can in making those changes," Prof Sutton said.

He said about 98 per cent of people connected to the City of Whittlesea, Port Melbourne and West Melbourne clusters had been cleared, while the Arcare Maidstone aged care outbreak has officially ended.

The state has 51 active cases, of which just 24 are local cases.

Acting Premier James Merlino continued his attack on the Commonwealth's "shambolic" vaccine rollout.

"We are so far behind in this race, it's not funny," he said.

Mr Merlino told reporters he was unhappy following Monday's meeting of national cabinet, during which he failed to secure more supply of the Pfizer vaccine for Victoria for July and August.

"In the depths of winter, as we are absolutely striving to drive this outbreak into the ground, we're going to see a reduction in the vaccine (supply)," he said.

He repeated his claim that the Commonwealth had a "sliding doors" moment last July, during which it failed to secure access to more Pfizer vaccines.

"There was an offer of Pfizer to the Commonwealth government that would be enough for our country and they didn't take it up," Mr Merlino said.

"We're living with the result of that decision right now."

He said with just three per cent of the nation fully inoculated, it was too soon to talk about exempting the vaccinated cohort from some COVID-19 restrictions.

Prof Sutton, meanwhile, urged the "tens of thousands" of Pfizer vaccine recipients in the state due for their second dose to book it in.

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