Footy fans urged to get vaccinated at Rockhampton NRL Eels Knights finals game

NRL fans attending Sunday’s clash between the Eels and Knights are able to get vaccinated on their way inside, in a creative expansion of Qld’s rollout.

Rugby league fans attending today’s NRL final at Browne Park in Rockhampton between the Eels and the Knights will be able to get vaccinated at the game.

Rugby league fans in central Queensland will be able to get vaccinated before Sunday afternoon’s game, in a trial authorities hope will boost immunisation rates.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the NRL final at Browne Park in Rockhampton between the Parramatta Eels and the Newcastle Knights.

Set up outside will be a Queensland Health pop-up vaccine clinic.

Rugby league fans attending today’s @NRL final at Browne Park in Rockhampton between @TheParraEels and the @NRLKnights will be able to get vaccinated at the game.

A pop up vaccine clinic is being trialled outside the venue. pic.twitter.com/BYyfiAS0sr

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 12, 2021

The move was spruiked by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who shared the news to her Twitter account, as the state races to catch up to the rest of the country in the number of vaccinated residents.

Queensland is currently lagging behind every other state and territory in its first dose percentage, with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath revealing on Sunday only 55.97 per cent of Queenslanders have had their first dose of vaccine, and just 37.69 per cent are fully dosed.

By comparison, NSW is leading the way in first doses, with 78.05 per cent of its population now innoculated, while the ACT has the highest rate of fully immunised residents, with more than 50 per cent of the population double-jabbed.

Despite the lag, figures from Sunday suggest Queensland is expected to hit 80 per cent double doses by December 5, beating South Australia and Victoria by just days.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the trial would allow more people to get vaccinated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Chief health officer Jeannette Young said she needed everyone to keep coming forward and getting vaccinated.

“Every single day we are seeing more people get vaccinated, and that’s fantastic,” she said.

“And the sooner we’ve got the vast majority of Queenslanders from 12 years of age and older vaccinated, we’ll be able to remove restrictions.”

Meanwhile, Queensland narrowly avoided a snap lockdown for another day as the state recorded no new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles thanked Queenslanders for doing the right thing and said the region could “breathe a sigh of relief”.

“We’re not out of the woods yet though,” he said.

Originally published as Footy fans urged to get vaccinated at Rockhampton NRL Eels Knights finals game