COVID-19 NSW: Millions of vaccinations are set to be ready by the end of May
The federal government is set to quicken the pace of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, looking to have over ten million jabs completed by the end of May.
NSW
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A dramatic ramp-up of the vaccine rollout has been promised by the federal government, which now expects to go from six million jabs in early May to almost double only a couple of weeks later.
After releasing a detailed 12-week plan to reach 6m vaccinations nationally by May 10, longer term modelling shows the government believes it can complete about 11 million jabs by the end of the same month.
This ambitious target is based on the expected number of doses available, with sources telling The Daily Telegraph the main variable was how quickly Melbourne-based company CSL could get mass produced AstraZeneca vaccine into bottles.
Late May is also when a large volume of second doses, which are required 12 weeks after the first jabs, would be due.
New data for the third week of the rollout showed that as of March 14 the federal government, states and territories had delivered 164,437 vaccines, including 37,553 in NSW.
After a very slow start in aged care, a senior government source said they believed they had ironed out the issues by bringing on Sonic Clinical Services and International SOS to help with the delivery.
Consistent delivery of at least one million locally produced AstraZeneca doses will also determine the announcement of the start date for Phase 2B of the rollout, which covers every Australian under 50.
Currently priority workers, aged and disability care residents are receiving vaccines in Phase 1A, with Phase 1B to start next week for all frontline workers and people aged over 70. Then Phase 2A, which covers all people over the age of 50, will start from June.
PM Scott Morrison has revealed as the rollout progresses, with GPs expected to join when Phase 1B starts on March 22, that anyone not meeting targets would not get “more doses” sent to them.
PREMIER URGES CALM ON BORDER CLOSURES
Trigger-happy premiers have been urged to not take any “drastic measures” by slamming borders shut to NSW before the crucial Easter holiday period.
It came after a warning from Victoria that areas in NSW could be designated “red or orange zones” as it was confirmed the Sydney hotel quarantine security guard who tested positive to COVID-19 has the UK mutant strain of the virus.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian yesterday pre-empted any possible border changes by saying shutting them would be an “over-reaction” to the guard’s positive test.
Queensland tourism operators also pleaded with their Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to keep the border open, stressing how crucial the Easter holiday period would be for the industry.
Victorian authorities yesterday said any recent arrivals from Sydney were being contacted, adding travel restrictions may be imposed on areas in NSW.
“Victoria is working to support NSW authorities to contain the case,” they said in a statement.
“Under Victoria’s Travel Permit System, areas of NSW may be redesignated as red or orange zones by Victoria’s chief health officer as further information emerges.”
No new local cases were identified in NSW yesterday, prompting Ms Berejiklian to call for calm.
“If we’re going to give our citizens the opportunity to have a normal existence during COVID, we need to make sure that we change the way we think about it,” she said.
“And that’s why I urge everybody to be patient in other states not to take those drastic measures.”
Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said there was currently no intention to restrict border movements.
“There’s no health advice on that front which is always the advice that we follow when it comes to issues around borders,” she said.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said the Easter holidays were “crucially important” for the sector.
“The Easter holidays will mark both the beginning of the winter season for Queensland and sadly the end of JobKeeper. We need at least a good Easter season to counteract the loss of JobKeeper,” he said.
He said a border closure would be “catastrophic for the industry”.
Village Roadshow chief operating officer Bikash Randhawa, who oversees SeaWorld, Movieworld, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Paradise Country on the Gold Coast, said it was critical borders remained open.
“We are expecting a bumper Easter at this stage with all of the accommodation houses saying bookings are looking exceptionally strong,” he said.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant yesterday confirmed the COVID-positive security guard was infected with the UK virus strain, the first time it has been loose in the NSW community.
Genome sequencing linked the virus to an infectious traveller housed on the same floor as where the guard was working.
Security camera footage reviewed by NSW Health revealed no “clear and obvious” breach of protocol, with Dr Chant saying the security guard was “exemplary in his adherence to the procedures for mask wearing and other protections”.
Dr Chant yesterday revealed that 92 per cent of people working in the hotel quarantine system have now received at least one jab of the Pfizer vaccine.
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Trial climax: ‘Bashing the hell out of his woman’ or medical episode?
Despite a lengthy murder trial drawing to a close on Friday over the alleged brutal bashing death of a woman in a Ballina laneway, the Crown and defence were still at odds on a number of glaring issues.