Victorians are being encouraged to flock to pop-up COVID-19 vaccination hubs at Bunnings stores across the state to lift third-dose rates ahead of winter.
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The state government on Friday announced the hardware chain will host 20 temporary clinics at various Melbourne and regional Victorian sites from next week.
"Come down, get your snag, get your tools and get a vaccination," Health Minister Martin Foley told reporters from a Bunnings site in Melton.
"What we need to do, particularly as we're heading towards the winter season, is to keep those vaccination levels up as high as we possibly can.
"There are some communities where we know we need to do more to lift those vaccination rates (in) some of the outer suburbs, some of the regional centres and some communities with culturally and linguistically diverse (people)."
The first hubs will open in Wodonga, Keysborough and Melton East on Wednesday.
About 53 per cent of residents 16 and over from the City of Melton, 52.3 per cent from the City of Greater Dandenong, and 65.6 per cent from the City of Wodonga have had three vaccine doses to date.
Other pop-up clinics are planned for the Queen Victoria Market, Swan Hill Food and Wine Festival and annual Elmore Tractor Pull in coming weeks.
Victoria currently has 61.9 per cent of adults vaccinated with three doses, ahead of mandatory vaccination rules kicking in for key workers.
After being pushed back, the deadline is approaching for aged care, disability, emergency service, meat processing, quarantine and food distribution workers to get their third jab.
From 11.59pm on Saturday, workers in those industries - including contractors, volunteers and students on placement - will need to have received their third dose to continue working.
Healthcare workers who received their first jab before September 12 are also required to have received their third vaccine by Sunday.
Victoria recorded 6811 new COVID-19 cases and a further 10 deaths on Friday.
The health department confirmed four of the deaths occurred in February, while three happened in January.
The number of Victorians in hospital declined overnight by three to 185 patients, with 27 people in intensive care and three requiring ventilation.
There are 46,263 active cases in the state.
Australian Associated Press
