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Victoria will tighten rules around medical exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccination, after people were caught doctor shopping.
Thursday is the state's deadliest day of the pandemic's third wave, after 25 Victorians died with COVID-19 and another 1923 new local infections were reported.
More than 77 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated after 22,189 doses were administered at state-run hubs on Wednesday.
Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said medical exemption requirements will change after GPs had complained of receiving "significant pressure" from people who do not want to get vaccinated.
He said GPs had reported "people travelling from clinic to clinic" seeking a medical exemption and doctors were calling for more clarity on the issue.
"A very small number of people are unable to get a COVID-19 vaccination because they have a condition," he told reporters.
"Victorian GPs are tasked with determining these exemptions when visited by their patients, but we have heard feedback from some of our GP colleagues that there have been some problems with this process."
From 6pm on Friday, patients asking for an exemption to avoid the jab will be required to present official proof of their exemption via an Australian Immunisation Register form.
People with a current exemption letter, that is not an AIR form, will need to return to their doctor so a form can be submitted on their behalf before November 12.
It comes as authorities warn there is high risk of thunderstorm asthma in the state's southwest, Wimmera and Mallee districts on Thursday, while Melbourne may be moderately affected.
The combination of high grass pollen levels, severe thunderstorms and strong winds on Thursday meant a "large number of people" may develop asthma symptoms quickly, the health department said.
Prof Cowie urged Victorians with asthma to be careful and follow their health plans, as he said there was already pressure on the health system due to COVID-19.
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Victoria will tighten rules for medical exemptions to COVID-19 vaccinations in a crackdown on people doctor shopping and pressuring GPs for exemptions.
The state recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic's third wave on Thursday, after 25 Victorians died with COVID-19 and another 1923 new local infections were reported.
With one day until restrictions further ease across the state, 77.5 per cent of over-16s are now fully vaccinated and 92.1 per cent have had a first dose.
From Friday, it will become harder for people to avoid getting a COVID-19 vaccine, as the chief health officer tightens medical exemption requirements.
Acting Chief Health Officer Ben Cowie said GPs had complained of receiving "significant pressure" from people who do not want to get vaccinated, and doctors needed clarity on issues around medical exemptions.
"A very small number of people are unable to get a COVID-19 vaccination because they have a condition," he told reporters.
"Victorian GPs are tasked with determining these exemptions when visited by their patients, but we have heard feedback from some of our GP colleagues that there have been some problems with this process.
"There have been reports of people going from general practice to general practice, trying to get different outcomes."
Victorians will need to fill out an exemption form with the Australian Immunisation Register to obtain an exemption certificate via the myGov website, from 6pm on Friday.
The certificate can be used as proof they are medically exempt from being vaccinated.
Additionally, clinicians will be given a guidance form that clearly sets out the Australian Technical Advisory Group's list of permitted medical exemptions.
People with a current exemption letter that is not the AIR form will need to return to their doctor so a form can be submitted on their behalf before November 12.
Despite recording a jump of 389 daily COVID-19 infections on Thursday, Prof Cowie said Victoria's case numbers are beginning to stabilise.
He said virus modelling showed there could be a "slight reduction" in case numbers before another rise in December and January.
"Exactly how that plays out, to what degree it just becomes a relative plateau and then how high that subsequent peak is, is subject to all of us and our vaccination levels," he said.
"The more people get vaccinated, the lower that next peak will be."
It comes as authorities warn there is a high risk of thunderstorm asthma in the state's southwest, Wimmera and Mallee districts on Thursday, while Melbourne may be moderately affected.
The combination of high grass pollen levels, severe thunderstorms and strong winds means a "large number of people" may develop asthma symptoms quickly, the health department said.
Prof Cowie urged Victorians with asthma to be careful and follow their health plans, as he said there was already pressure on the health system due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, people in metropolitan Melbourne will be allowed to travel to the regions and interstate when restrictions ease at 6pm on Friday.
Among other rule changes, masks will not be required outdoors, non-essential retail stores will reopen and greater numbers of people will be allowed inside hospitality venues.
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Booster shots for COVID-19 will begin for the general public across the country from November 8, after the government signed off on final advice from the country's peak vaccine advisory group.
It comes as Australia passed a 75 per cent double-dose vaccination rate for eligible people over 16.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday granted provisional approval for a third COVID dose, with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation later signing off on the measures.
While the general public rollout of boosters will begin next month, aged care residents will be able to receive their top-up shot from Thursday.
The booster of the Pfizer vaccine, which will be provided to the general public regardless of which vaccine they had received, will be given six months after the initial course.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the national vaccine rate was expected to pass 80 per cent next week, coinciding with Australia's international borders reopening.
"Australia is connecting together again, and we'll continue to see that occurring in the months ahead," Mr Morrison told reporters.
"We're beating COVID and taking our lives back, and we're doing this as we see the vaccination levels in the country rise."
Severely immunocompromised Australians have already been eligible for a third dose.
Health Minister Greg Hunt also confirmed vaccine manufacturer Novavax intended to submit its vaccine for TGA approval in coming weeks.
Australia has ordered 51 million doses of the vaccine.
Mr Hunt said the booster shot approval was a critical step forward for vaccination levels.
"We have enough vaccines in the country to vaccinate everybody who comes, and as your six months have passed, you will be eligible to come forward," Mr Hunt said
There were a further 221,000 vaccines administered in the past 24 hours.
The double-dose rate is at 75.5 per cent, while 87.6 per cent have received their first dose.
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Queensland is set to have 90 per cent of its eligible residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by early next year, but authorities are yet to outline how they'll deal with unvaccinated people.
Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy, who's overseeing the state's jab rollout, says Queensland will have 80 per cent of eligible residents fully vaccinated by December 17.
The state will scrap quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated domestic travellers who test negative when it hits 80 per cent, or by December 17 at the latest.
It will then scrap quarantine for international arrivals when 90 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated, which Mr Chelepy expects will happen in "very early" 2022.
"NSW and Victoria, they'll get to 90 per cent before us - but if you're looking at NSW, they were in lockdown for eight weeks," he told reporters on Thursday.
"So they really had an incentive to come out and get their freedoms back.
"We need people to get vaccinated to hold our freedoms, and we truly believe if we can continue to vaccinate now we'll get to 90 per cent early next year."
However, concern remains about what will happen to unvaccinated people and regions with low vaccination rates - particularly Indigenous communities - when state borders reopen.
Mr Chelepy said those regions would face potential lockdowns to protect the local health systems even after the 90 per cent full vaccination target.
Police Minister Mark Ryan wouldn't say whether he supported ongoing restrictions for unvaccinated Queenslanders.
"What I support is everyone getting vaccinated, and if everyone is vaccinated you don't need bans," he said.
"But we'll take advice from the chief health officer on that."
Some people who have refused to get the jab, include about 100 of the Queensland Police Service's 17,000 staff.
Mr Ryan said the "handful of people" worked across the organisation and the service would be able to cope.
"The Queensland Police Service is a massive organisation, it's got over 17,000 staff, and I've got assurances from the commissioner that there are sufficient resources to ensure that the people of Queensland remain safe," he said.
Mr Ryan said unvaccinated international travellers would still need to go into mandatory 14-day quarantine after the state hits 90 per cent fully jabbed.
He said many would be ordered to quarantine in the state-run facility being built at Wellcamp near Toowoomba.
"There will always be a requirement for unvaccinated people coming into Australia to have some sort of quarantine," Mr Ryan said.
More than 76 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had one dose of a vaccine and almost 62 per cent are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Queensland recorded zero new local cases on Thursday with one new case recorded in hotel quarantine after 8395 tests.
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