Fraser Coast mayor says ‘science and medicine’ is only way to beat Covid

The day after it emerged less than half of Fraser Coast residents had been vaccinated against COVID-19, the region’s mayor issued his own call to arms.

Just weeks after being involved in what turns out to be a false alarm Covid scare, the Fraser Coast mayor has received the Pfizer vaccine, declaring it‘s the “one and only way to get through the pandemic”.

Mayor George Seymour had his second shot of the Covid vaccine on Friday, at the Maryborough City Hall as he urged others to get vaccinated too.

“The (Covid) vaccination is the one and only way that societies around the world are going to come through and out of this pandemic,” Mr Seymour said.

“If we want our children to be going to normal school years, if we want to visit family and friends interstate and internationally, and if we want life to get back to normal, we need much higher vaccination rates.

“Do it for yourself and do it for the broader community, do it for the schoolchildren you want to get back to school, do for the grandmother you want to see again and the vulnerable communities that are out there.”

Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour has received his second Covid vaccination.

The mayor’s push comes after it was revealed less than half of Wide Bay residents have had any Covid vaccination, as local businesses are being forced to refuse bookings from SEQ residents during peak whale watching season.

The Delta variant was “cause for us to be concerned”, the mayor said.

“The way we have seen that transmitted, particularly among young people in Brisbane, is cause for us to be concerned and increase our vaccination program,” he said.

“We want to ensure that Queensland and Australia can get through this and become a better society into the future and I don’t think there’s any better advice we can take than from the medical professionals.”