South Australians aged 40 to 49 can apply to get Covid-19 vaccination from Tuesday
People age 40 to 49 are rushing to book an appointment for the Covid jab just hours after authorities announced a broadening of the vaccination roll out.
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Authorities have been “overwhelmed” by people aged 40 to 49 rushing to book appointments for the Covid jab, Premier Steven Marshall said on Tuesday morning.
Just hours after announcing the broadening of eligibility criteria, Mr Marshall said the response had been strong and there was plenty of capacity in the system to deliver the vaccine.
“There is no shortage (of the vaccine) at the moment,” Mr Marshall said.
“There are lots of appointments available this week, there are lots and lots of appointments next week”.
He said authorities had been aiming to administer 3000 jabs per week at the Wayville hub but last week, 7700 doses were given.
A record 1232 jabs were administered on Monday and authorities were aiming to deliver 1500 jabs on Tuesday.
People in the 40-49 age bracket will receive the Pfizer vaccine, in line with federal health recommendations.
“This is safe, it’s effective, it’s free of charge and it’s going to keep our state operating with the low level of restrictions we have”.
Almost a quarter of a million people aged 40 to 49 can get their Covid-19 vaccination in Adelaide from today as the state’s rollout significantly expands.
In a major milestone, South Australians in that age bracket, who live in the metropolitan area, are now eligible for their Pfizer coronavirus inoculation.
Premier Steven Marshall will also on Tuesday announce that more than $86m will be allocated in this month’s State Budget “to fast-track the rollout”.
The rollout, which has come under fire for being sluggish, will also expand to Kangaroo Island on Tuesday and widen to all disability frontline workers. Mr Marshall said vaccinations were “our doorway out of the pandemic”.
“This $86m investment will mean SA Health will have the resources they need to be able to pivot where required to get this vital vaccine into the arms of South Australians,” Mr Marshall said.
The money is based on the state’s original federal agreement that SA would deliver 40 per cent of vaccinations.
But officials say if SA vaccinated a greater proportion of the eligible population, costs will be higher. The Opposition criticised the country’s second-worst vaccine rate as data show more than 83,000 vials are in stockpile.
A surge in supplies of Pfizer vaccines – preferred for people aged under 50 – paved the way for national cabinet to last week authorise the next phase.
Latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows more than 225,000 people in SA are aged between 40 and 49. While some rural clinics can give shots to people as young as 16 if they live in the area, until now metropolitan residents under 50 could only get a shot in they met specific eligibility categories.
Federal data shows more than half, or 135,444, vulnerable people aged 70 and over have had at least their first Covid-19 vaccine.
A further 109,187, or a quarter of people aged between 50 and 69, are vaccinated, while 23,997, or 11 per cent aged between 40 and 49, are already inoculated.
Chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier said those who could get the vaccine included “everyone” older than 40 and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged between 16 to 49.
NDIS participants older than 16 and their carers of any age can also be vaccinated.
“The more people who get vaccinated, the safer our community will be,” said Prof Spurrier, who wants at least 80 per cent of the state’s adult population vaccinated by October.
“I encourage everyone within the newly eligible cohorts to get vaccinated as soon as they can. To avoid long queues … I encourage everyone who is eligible to book in now. The sooner you roll up to get vaccinated, the sooner you and your loved ones will be protected.”
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said a jab could dramatically “reduce the likelihood of severe Covid-19, hospitalisation and death”.
“Each vaccination can help to save your life and the lives of those around you,” he said. “I urge all those who are eligible to book in to receive their vaccine.”
Prof Spurrier said unvaccinated frontline disability workers of any age, who worked face-to-face with clients, could get a Pfizer vaccination.
“The sooner we protect our most vulnerable, the better,” she said. Health Minister Stephen Wade said the Kangaroo Island clinic, at Kingscote town hall, would offer more than 3200 Pfizer and AstraZeneca doses – or 150 a day – to anyone older than 16 over two blocks. The initial block, from Tuesday June 7 until July 20, is for both Pfizer doses and a first AstraZeneca jab. A future slot is for the second AstraZeneca dose.
Figures show 355,734 jabs in total, 126,358 via SA Health. In its first week, 2277 patients were vaccinated at the Playford mass hub. SA Health last week used 70 per cent of 209,500 doses.
To book your jab, visit covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au
AMA calls for new SA quarantine hub
Claire Bickers
Medi-hotels are no longer enough and South Australia needs to launch its own dedicated quarantine facility, the state’s AMA boss says.
Australian Medical Association SA president Michelle Atchison says the state and federal governments must work together to identify a site after Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state premiers set new parameters for stand-alone quarantine hubs on Friday.
Medi-hotels were never designed to be adequate quarantine sites for a “very infectious” airborne virus and should only be part of a wider solution, Dr Atchison, pictured, said.
“It’s time to stop kicking this around as a political football and actually make some decisions,” she said.
“We should have been doing this six months ago; thinking about what can we do apart from hotel quarantine.”
Any stand-alone quarantine hub would need to be near an international airport and within an hour’s drive of a major hospital, according to criteria set at national cabinet.
It would also need to be in addition to hotel quarantine, not a replacement.
Victoria is the only state to have signed an agreement with the Commonwealth so far.
Edinburgh RAAF Base was one site that could fit the criteria, Dr Atchison said, but added there would also be other sites around Adelaide.
The state government has proposed a Parafield Airport site as a quarantine hub for international students, but has no plans at present for a facility for returning Australians outside medi-hotels.
Premier Steven Marshall said South Australia was already taking its population share of returned travellers. Labor leader Peter Malinauskas has said he would establish a dedicated quarantine centre if he was premier, and that Edinburgh should be explored as an option.
Woomera and the former Inverbrackie Detention Centre have previously been floated as potential sites. Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie said the former Inverbrackie Detention Centre would not work as it had been sold years ago and was being transformed into a housing development.
If the Cats are away the Power will play
Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Port Adelaide is confident its Thursday night blockbuster clash against Geelong will go ahead at Adelaide Oval despite not yet receiving official confirmation.
The AFL was on Monday night thrashing out finer details with SA Health to obtain an exemption to allow the Cats to fly into Adelaide on Thursday.
But the Power and Geelong were pressing ahead with preparations for the blockbuster despite the status of the match still not being confirmed.
“We are planning as if we are going to be playing here,” Power assistant coach Jarrad Schofield said.
“Obviously there are some administration things going on behind the scenes but as a playing and coaching group we are planning for Thursday night here.”
Holding up approval just three days out from the blockbuster is what the Cats will be allowed to do by health authorities after the game.
Adelaide Airport’s 11pm curfew for passenger planes means the Cats cannot replicate Collingwood’s fly in, fly out approval and travel back to Victoria after the 7.10pm game.
The Cats potentially having to stay overnight in Adelaide meant options investigated by the AFL and SA Health included the travelling party for Geelong having an entire hotel floor to themselves to limit any interaction with members of the public. Geelong could also travel on a smaller plane to avoid the curfew.
There is also a precedent for Geelong to fly out of Adelaide on Thursday night after playing the Power.
Rugby League’s State of Origin teams faced a similar problem when they played a match at Adelaide Oval last year. It is understood NSW and Queensland flew in and out on the same day, despite their flight leaving after the 11pm curfew, on charter flights via the RAAF base in Edinburgh.
Cats players and staff entered a hard lockdown on Monday so they can comply with the expected restrictions SA authorities will impose on them prior to flying to Adelaide.
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