Questions Time blog: Vaccine mandate dropped for staff in Queensland private health facilities

Workers in Queensland's private health facilities will no longer have to be vaccinated in a major shake-up of the state's Covid vaccination rules. SEE HOW QUESTION TIME PLAYED OUT

Workers in private health facilities including in hospitals and GP clinics will soon no longer need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to keep their job, with the chief health officer to drop parts of the government’s jab mandate.

But Health Minister Yvette D’Ath confirmed public hospital workers and employees across all aged care and disability care facilities will still need to abide by the Covid-19 vaccination rules.

SEE HOW OUR QUESTION TIME BLOG PLAYED OUT BELOW

Ms D’Ath said Queensland was in a “new stage of the pandemic” and even though the virus would linger as a part of life for years to come, it was time to “transition” away from managing Covid-19 through public health directions unless “truly necessary”.

She said Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard would soon drop part of the vaccine mandate that rules private health workers must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to work.

The decision comes after national cabinet on Wednesday agreed to drop mandatory mask wearing in domestic flights and to shorten the isolation period for those who test positive for Covid-19 from seven days to five days unless they work with vulnerable people.