COVID NSW: Scott Morrison says state’s response is ‘best in the world’

With the vaccine rollout days away, the Prime Minister has made a bold claim about NSW that is sure to anger other states.

Praise for the NSW Government’s COVID-19 response has exceeded the gold standard, the prime minister has declared ahead of Monday’s vaccine rollout.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stood alongside his Liberal colleague NSW Premier Gladys on Friday morning and congratulated the state’s handling of the pandemic, declaring New South Wales had done “the best job in the world”.

“You think about a city as amazing and sophisticated as my home city of Sydney and what Sydney has been able to achieve when you compare it to places like New York, London, Paris and so many of the great cities of the world. Sydney shines on a bright day but it certainly has shined here during the course of this pandemic,” he said.

The Premier who led the world’s “best” COVID response, according to the PM. Picture: Joel Carrett

At least 240 aged care facilities will get a share of the available Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines next week across 190 Australian towns and cities.

The government has also confirmed there will be 16 Pfizer hubs, where priority quarantine and health workers will be able to go to get their vaccine.

In NSW there will initially be three hubs based out of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital and Liverpool Hospital.

The Royal Prince Alfred hospital will administer hundreds of the vaccines from Monday.

PFIZER VS ASTRAZENECA VACCINE

The prime minister and the premier explained on Friday that the pair of them would be receiving different vaccines to show the public they both work.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will receive the Pfizer vaccine as well as Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.

“I think it is very important, the premier and I were discussing this earlier today,” Prime Minister Morrison said.

“The Premier will be taking the AstraZeneca vaccine as well as my Health Minister (Greg Hunt) taking the AstraZeneca vaccine. These are all great vaccines. They‘re not better than each other but it is important for us as leaders (to demonstrate this). I’m happy to get it, I think it is important people understand it is safe.”

INCENTIVES FOR GETTING THE JAB

Neither the PM nor premier entertained the thought of punishing people for not receiving the vaccine.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it would be a positive way of urging people to get the jab.

“I‘m completely happy and comfortable for there to be incentives for people to take the vaccine. I think that’s a positive way to do it rather than penalised people who don’t take the vaccine, I’d like incentives for people who do take the vaccine,” she said.

“I know there are a minority in the community who don‘t feel it’s good for the community but the vast majority of residents will welcome the vaccine’s arrival and appreciate what it can do in our fight against COVID and is what I’ve really been buoyed by

during this process”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government is investigating whether they can open international borders. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

VACCINE TRAVEL PASSPORT

The prime minister also said his government was canvassing the possibility of international travel returning with a vaccine passport.

Mr Morrison said it is a “process” his government is discussing with international partners but a better understanding of how the vaccine works is still needed.

“What we want is a proper accreditation process which can load up into that system,” he said.

“It’s about getting a level of confidence across many jurisdictions to enable that outcome. Once we get a greater understanding of everybody’s systems that can give the airlines in particular – because that interest the gatekeepers largely on this – they can have confidence about what is being loaded up, who has had a vaccine, what vaccine they had.”