Aged care workers will be forced to get COVID-19 vaccines if they wish to remain employed in the sector in every State but Victoria, after National Cabinet met today.
Scott Morrison revealed States and Territories agreed to put in place public health orders that mandated the vaccine for aged care workers.
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Mr Morrison revealed Mark McGowan had brought forward ideas to incentivise the vaccine for aged care workers to go with the public health order.
“We discussed an incentives system today, that was suggested by Premier McGowan and I think that’s an excellent idea and we’ll be engaging with the corporate sector as to how that can be put in place to incentivize aged care workers as another way… to lift those levels of vaccination amongst aged care workers,” he said.
Mr Morrison said the national medical expert panel had not recommended to mandate vaccines for other industries, such as the disability sector.
While National Cabinet considered whether “mobility workers”, which include FIFO staff, should be incentivised or forced to be vaccinated, Mr Morrison said that was also “not recommended at this stage".
“But of course across all of the community, where you are able to get vaccinations we strongly encourage it particularly when you are working in an area which will bring you into contact with more people,” he said.
A trial to quarantine vaccinated returning travellers within their homes rather than in hotels was also ticked off by National Cabinet, to be initially tested in South Australia.
"It will be run of course by South Australia but with the active engagement and with visibility of all the other States and Territories so they are in a position to pick up that project on the completion of a successful pilot program," Mr Morrison said.
Mr Morrison said that vaccinated Australians would also be able to leave the country more easily.
"It will be our strong preference for those who are given an exemption ... that they are vaccinated if they are travelling overseas, that reduces the risk both to them personally, because as we know COVID is through many countries around the world and many other places Australians will travel to, and that of course reduces the risk when they return to Australia," he said.
"For those who are unable for medical reasons to receive a vaccination or at this point in the cycle they may not have access to a vaccination, they are issues that will be taken into account by the border force Commissioner in considering those arrangements."
One million mark
Mr Morrison said Australia was on track to administer one million vaccine doses every week – from as soon as tomorrow.
“Today we are seeing very strong numbers when it comes to the vaccine program,” Mr Morrison said.
“The vaccine numbers that were released today - the second-highest day, yesterday, that we have seen.
“Some 164,000 doses administered that brings us up to a 8.8 million doses administered our presence. That will likely hit nine million doses by the time we report tomorrow.
“You hit your mark there on those sort of a vaccination rollout as we are now achieving and that puts us in a very strong place to be able to get this job done as we move towards the end of the year and indeed perhaps sooner than that to ensure that everyone who is seeking to have a vaccine will be able to have one.”
The thresholds for vaccination rates necessary to loosen COVID restrictions and move through the four phases out of the pandemic will be set by the end of the month, Mr Morrison said.
"The Doherty Institute will be coming back to us this month ... and (we) will set out what the spectrum of risk is across various levels of vaccination in the population and what the levels of vaccination in high vulnerable groups are, and what the risks is then associated with COVID being in the community."
The troubled communications campaign on the vaccination program will make a comeback on Sunday.
Lieutenant General John James Frewen - who heads up the COVID-19 vaccine taskforce - prepared a report that looked into the rollout and communications campaign, which was tabled at today’s meeting.
“There will be a new campaign launched in relation to the vaccination program,” he said.
“This is the next phase of those communication campaigns and coincides neatly with the additional supply that is being brought forward to support the vaccination program.”
The Federal Government has spent more than $30 million on the campaign, which has been criticised as a “failure” by marketing and health experts.
Perth marketing agency Marketforce managing director Dixie Marshall told the West Australian last week that there was “no emotional connection to the audience”.
“It doesn’t frighten, inspire or entertain me, why should I care?” she said.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also urged for a complete overhaul of the campaign.
“This country urgently needs a comprehensive, well-targeted, nationwide campaign to boost vaccine confidence in the community,” RACGP President Dr Karen Price said.
The Prime Minister also discussed the country’s ventilator capacity – re-assuring leaders there were enough machines to cope with people being hospitalised with COVID-19 from new outbreaks.
“What I was able to report today is that the ICU capacity currently has Australia with 2020 spare ventilators nationally, with ICU beds to treat COVID-19 placements,” he said.
“States and Territories will have this as a continued standing item on National Cabinet agenda to ensure we can maintain that health system capability to deal with any potential outbreaks.
“Here in New South Wales and in Sydney in particular is proving to be more than up to the task for what is currently presenting.”