One of Victoria’s largest vaccination hubs is set to close this month despite the state pushing through with a major vaccination drive.
The hub at the Royal Exhibition Building will be decommissioned on March 23 amid primary car providers such as GPs and pharmacies increasingly delivering a larger portion of vaccinations to the public.
It comes as the government embarks on a major pop-up blitz to target lower vaccination rates across the state ahead of winter.
“Don’t rely on two doses to get you through this winter,” Health Minister Martin Foley said.
“If you are due, make march the month you get your third dose.”
Despite Covid infections initially trending downwards following the peak of the Omicron wave, health authorities say the state is experiencing a 10 per cent increase each week.
The state recorded 9426 cases on Wednesday – the highest daily figure in more than a month.
Victoria’s Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said around half of the state’s wastewater sequencing showed traces of the new BA. 2 subvariant of Omicron.
It’s expected cases will continue to trend upwards.
More than 120 pop-up vaccination clinics will be launched in areas with a low booster uptake.
The Hume, Brimbank, Melton, Moreland, Casey and Darebin areas will be targeted.
Pop-up hubs will be available for walk-in appointments at libraries, sports facilities, malls, markets, festivals, playgrounds, primary schools and Bunnings in thxjmtzywose areas.
St Vincent’s Health will continue to provide Covid vaccinations through outreach services and mobile vaccination vans, and larger fixed vaccination sites will continue to operate throughout Melbourne.
Figure have shown that more than two-thirds of Victorians are getting their third dose when they’re due, but there are still 1.7 million people due for their third dose.
NSW authorities last week predicted cases could double in the next four to six weeks, with that scenario also expected to happen in Victoria.
Mr Foley this week confirmed the new variant would soon be the dominant form of the virus in Victoria.
“The BA. 2 subvariant of Omicron is slowly and gradually asserting itself,” he said on Tuesday.
He said while it was known the strain was more infectious, it was not yet known by how much.
