2021-02-08 08:08:42
...case of outbreaks.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said he expected some workplaces to mandate vaccinations against COVID-19 as a condition of entry.
“There’s a range of jobs now for which you have to, for example, show that you have a flu vaccine,” he said.
“That needs to be worked through.”
The immunisation certificates – that will also be made available in physical form- will be ready to go from the first Pfizer vaccination expected later this month.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said he needed clarification from the Commonwealth about “what we’re getting and when we’re getting it” before he would consider how vaccination records would be used.
He said he was “quite confident” the IT solutions being discussed with his federal counterparts would be “more than effective and up and running in time”.
Testing commander Jeroen Weimar said it was too soon to begin planning for “life beyond vaccinations”.
He urged Victorians to remain vigilant to stop the spread of the virus.
“Let me stress, at this point in time, we haven’t yet started vaccination, it’s really important we continue to work together to maintain COVID safe behaviours,” Mr Weimar said.
Mr Weimar said all vaccination records will be stored in the Australian Immunisation Register but was keen to see an “adaptable way” for people to demonstrate they’ve had a vaccine.
Frontline healthcare and quarantine staff, as well as people living and working in aged care homes, will begin being vaccinated against the virus from late February.
Mr Weimar said he wanted all hotel quarantine to be in the first group in Victoria, saying the outbreak at the Grand Hyatt hotel highlighted the huge risk they faced.
“We’ve seen from this incident, they really do face the most difficult and the most significant challenges of anyone in Victoria at the moment,” he said.
Mr Weimar said the quarantine workers would be closely followed by health service workers and vulnerable communities.
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