That's a question which has hovered for months but has become more intriguing following the Wangaratta export testifying to the hotel quarantine inquiry last week.

Less than 24 hours after Mr Andrews' evidence, state Health Minister Jenny Mikakos resigned, claiming her integrity had been undermined after the Premier stated she was accountable for the hotel program.

Ms Mikakos' exit puts the focus on Mr Andrews and his future, both in terms of his response to the inquiry and his longer fate in politics.

In responding to inquiry questioning, Mr Andrews said he was waiting for the findings of the hotel quarantine probe before taking significant action.

This makes the outcome of the investigation by retired judge Jennifer Coate, which is due in November, a critical juncture.

Given the problems identified in evidence, including the lack of answers about the hiring of private security guards, there is no doubt flaws around the hotel protection process will be exposed.

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But will Mr Andrews accept full responsibility and resign at that point or attempt to ride out criticism by pointing to systemic failures to which he was ignorant?

The severity of the hotel quarantine failure in terms of lives lost and economic damage has already seen the Opposition leader Michael O'Brien regularly call for Mr Andrews to resign.

The flipside is that Mr Andrews retains a high popularity rating in public polls and success in flattening the second wave outbreak will have fuelled that trust.

By November hopefully staged restrictions will have been eased to a point where Victoria is matching NSW.

Ms Coate's report then will remind Victorians of the dire mistakes that have been endured to reach that point.

Can the state's residents retain faith in Mr Andrews' leadership to take them to the next state election in November 2022?

Or will Mr Andrews, like Ms Mikakos, accept his Cabinet job is no longer feasible?