Vax loophole closed

MELBURNIANS will no longer be able to leave the city to get vaccinated in regional areas, according to the state government.

The ban comes after reports people had travelled from metropolitan areas to access vaccinations at clinics in Colac and Warrnambool.

The state government’s coronavirus website was also updated to forbid regional

Victorians to travel to metropolitan Melbourne or Greater Shepparton to receive their shots – even with existing bookings.

Covid-19 response chief Jeroen Weimar said on Friday it was “very clear” people could not leave Melbourne to get vaccinated in regional areas.

“You cannot go to regional Victoria for a vaccination. You cannot go to regional Victoria for a test,” he said. “It’s a really clear rule.” Those sentiments were echoed by Regional Development Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who said on Thursday the loophole was “an abuse of restrictions”.

The deputy secretary of Victoria’s Covid-19 response division, Nicole Brady, said under new rules people would not be allowed to leave the city to access vaccines.

“It won’t be a reason (if) people are stopped by police trying to drive out of Melbourne to go and get a vaccine,” she said.

But Ms Brady said people already living in regional areas who had not yet changed their driver’s licence addresses would still be able to access the vaccinations locally.

“We don’t want those people to be discouraged,” she said.

Polwarth Liberal MP Richard Riordan said “up to a third” of Colac bookings had been travellers from Melbourne’s west during his visit to a local clinic.

“Country people have limited access to vaccines, which is limited further when crucial booking slots are swamped by people 200km away,” Mr Riordan said at the time.

“How will we hope to get our VCE students in the regions vaccinated in time for exams if regional Victoria’s limited supply is taken up by metropolitan people?”