As it happened: Melbourne lockdown to end this week as Victoria records 1903 new local COVID-19 cases, seven deaths; NSW records 265 new cases, five deaths as more restrictions to ease

That's all for today. Thanks for reading. Here's a summary of the day's headlines:

• Today was the first day of the two-week corruption inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian. The inquiry heard Ms Berejiklian told a secret ICAC examination she was in shock and “didn’t know what to think” when allegations of corrupt conduct were first levelled at her former boyfriend Daryl Maguire in 2018. You can read a recap of all the developments from our separate live blog.
• Meanwhile, a separate corruption inquiry in Melbourne into the rorting of public funds and staff continued today. Read the day's developments in that live blog.
• Victoria recorded 1903 local cases of COVID-19 as the state's first-dose vaccination rate nears 90 per cent and prep students returned to the classroom after a 74-day absence.
• Elective surgery is likely to resume in NSW next week as the state recorded 265 cases. Kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 students also returned to school for the first time since term two in June.
• Queensland's closed border with NSW and Victoria will remain until the week before Christmas. Some restrictions will ease in a month to allow people to visit the sunshine state, but they'll still be required to do 14 days of home quarantine.

Victorian health authorities have clarified that entry requirements restricting unvaccinated people from entering venues from this Friday will not apply to children aged below 16.

Only people aged 16 and over will have to prove they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to do activities like having lunch at the pub with their family, or getting their hair cut.

When Victoria hits 80 per cent of the population over 16 double-dosed, which is expected to be in late-October or early-November, the clarification will mean young people 15 and under can also attend cafes and restaurants without being vaccinated.

Young people aged 12 to 15 only became eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Australia from September 13.

Victoria’s lockdown lifts at 11.59pm on Thursday.

Southern Tasmania's strict lockdown – triggered by a single positive COVID-19 case and despite the state's high vaccination rates – will end at 6pm today as planned.

Tasmania has 84 per cent first-dose vaccination coverage among its over-16s population, and 69 per cent of people are fully vaccinated. But this wasn't enough to stop Premier Peter Gutwein enacting a snap three-day lockdown on Friday after someone with coronavirus escaped hotel quarantine.

Despite the heavy restrictions, Mr Gutwein said "you can never go too hard or early" to manage the virus in the community.

While stay-at-home orders will lift at 6pm, masks will remain mandatory for anyone over 12, including outdoors.

Mr Gutwein said the state's road map for reopening to NSW and Victoria will be released later this week.

The electric car revolution has swept through Norway, transforming the country’s car market.

Only 10 years ago, diesel cars accounted for 75 per cent of new sales in Norway. Today they make up just 2.3 per cent.

In Australia, less than 1 per cent of cars sold in 2020 were electric.

So what’s driving Norway’s boom, and what lessons can Australia take from it?

Today on Please Explain, Europe correspondent Bevan Shields joins Bianca Hall to discuss Norway’s transition to electric vehicles and what ’80s pop group A-ha had to do with it.

As of yesterday, 88.45 per cent of Victorians over the age of 16 had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, authorities say.

The federal government's daily vaccination statistics show 66.73 per cent of the state’s population over-16 were double-dosed by Sunday.

A total of 8,793,444 vaccine doses had been delivered in Victoria, including 55,839 on Sunday. In the past seven days, an average of 57,335 people per day were fully vaccinated in Victoria.

If this pace continues in the coming days, the state will reach its target of 80 per cent of the population over 16 double-dosed by late-October.

The Victorian government has already announced lockdown restrictions will lift at 11.59pm this coming Thursday when it expects the state to reach its 70 per cent double-dose target.

It expects the 80 per cent target to be reached on or about Melbourne Cup day, which is November 2. For more details, you can look at our updated COVID-19 vaccination tracker below.