SA hospital workers given Covid vaccine deadline
The race is on for unvaccinated staff to get their Covid shots after SA Health revealed the fast approaching cut-off date that would see them locked out of work.
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South Australian hospital workers must have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccination by November 1 in order to keep working, under rules announced on Thursday.
And the rules will soon apply to all healthcare staff.
It means the race is on to over the next three weeks to boost vaccination rates, as many staff at major hospitals including the Royal Adelaide are not yet vaccinated.
SA Police announced the new directions that also require workers to have evidence of a booking for their second dose within a month of their first one, if they are not already fully vaccinated.
“This direction applies to all persons engaging in work or duties at a healthcare setting including clinicians, ambulance workers, allied health workers, cleaners, administrative and executive staff and students undertaking placement,” the direction said.
The rules cover public and private hospitals and apply regardless of whether a person works directly with patients or not. SA Health chief executive Dr Chris McGowan said: “Planning is underway to extend this direction within the next week to the rest of the healthcare sector, including all other community and private health care settings. This will include general practices, pharmacies, allied health, dental and private pathology and imaging and the Department for Health and Wellbeing.”
The SA move follows a national Cabinet announcement last Friday on mandating jabs for healthcare workers in all settings, though it did not set an implementation date.
The Advertiser revealed last month that one in five SA Health workers were unvaccinated, including at major hospitals. SA Health has failed to provide updated figures.
Australian Medical Association SA president Dr Michelle Atchison, pictured, backed the mandate for SA hospital workers, adding most doctors were already vaccinated. The nurses’ union said 95 per cent of nurses and midwives in SA were vaccinated.
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