Premier: Only path out of pandemic is to vaccinate
When we reach 90 per cent vaccinated, the barricades on the borders will come down and I don’t want anyone unvaccinated when Delta arrives, writes Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Opinion
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Dear Queensland, from now on we start the march out of this pandemic.
As always we are taking a careful and measured approach.
From November 19, our borders start opening up gradually.
Eventually, on the weekend before Christmas, travel will be almost as it was before Covid.
The date is no accident.
It’s about reuniting families and loved ones.
The only conditions are that travellers are vaccinated and return negative tests before they arrive.
When we reach 90 per cent – sometime early in the new year – the barricades on the borders come down hopefully never to return.
I know these measures have caused hardship and pain but nowhere near as much as major outbreak like the one that started in New South Wales and has since spread to Victoria, the ACT and New Zealand.
More than 125,000 cases. Sadly, more than 700 have lost their lives.
Queensland – perhaps alone in the world – has the opportunity to get our population fully vaccinated BEFORE we are exposed to a similar outbreak.
The discovery of a case on the Gold Coast has shown how even the best defences can be breached.
More will come.
While we have won every battle against Covid so far, the only way we win the war is to get vaccinated.
People who are fully vaccinated are 86 per cent less likely to catch Covid and pass it on.
If you are fully vaccinated your chance of dying from COVID-19 falls by 90 per cent.
But time is against us.
It takes five weeks from the first dose to be completely vaccinated and I don’t want anyone unvaccinated when Delta arrives.
As I have said, I can’t help you if you won’t get in the lifeboat.
There are places everywhere where you can get the vaccine.
As of today a vaccine hub could be as close as your local school.
It’s free, virtually painless and takes very little of your time.
We have come too far and achieved too much to risk it all now.
Please, get vaccinated today.
Come on Queensland, let’s do this together.
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