Cafe on Cusack switches to take away only as of December 17 to accommodate unvaccinated customers

A cafe in a suburb south of Brisbane has made a bold move to accommodate unvaccinated locals.

A cafe south of Brisbane has announced it will be switching to take away only to accommodate unvaccinated customers, with health experts and police urging locals in the area to increase the vaccination rate.

As of Friday, December 17, there will be no capacity restrictions on Queensland businesses that are only permitted to allow fully vaccinated people to attend. This includes cafes.

A business operator must also collect contact information, proof of vaccination or evidence of medical contraindication from all staff, guests, and patrons when entering an establishment by using the Check In Qld app.

Cafe on Cusack, based in rural Logan at Jimboomba, announced it will be switching to takeaway only as of December 17 via a public Facebook post.

Cafe owner Jodi Maher said her family has owned the Jimboomba cafe for nearly ten years.

“I’ve grown up in this community and raised my children in this community, my heart is so invested. This is not a stance on vaccinations...we are pro choice and morally don’t believe as owners of a cafe it’s our job or business to know what anyone else’s stance is on the vaccine,” Ms Maher said.

According to data from the Federal Government, as of this week, 80 per cent of Jimboomba locals were fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The cafe’s Facebook post has received over 700 likes, close to 200 positive comments, and over 100 shares from locals praising the cafe for catering to antivaxxers.

“Let’s stick together our beautiful people,” the Facebook post read.

“Through our eyes we all look the same and because of that we’ve made the decision to operate as take away only from this Friday, until the waters become clearer and hopefully we can all dine as one again.

“Let’s hope this is short lived and all those impacted small family businesses can start thriving again as they once were.”

A cafe in a suburb south of Brisbane, with a remarkably low vaccination rate, has made a bold move to accommodate local anti-vaxxers. Photo: Facebook.

This business announcement comes off the back of Logan recording a vaccination rate lower than 21 other council areas in Queensland as of December 5, with only 75.7 per cent of the Logan population fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Top cop Melissa Adams, Acting Chief Superintendent and District Officer for the Logan Police District and the District Disaster Coordinator for Logan and the Scenic Rim, has previously pushed for Jimboomba locals to get vaccinated after dropping behind the rest of Logan and Queensland.

“The COVID-19 vaccine protects you from getting seriously ill if you were to get infected with the virus,” she said.

“By having the COVID-19 vaccine you are less likely to transmit the virus to someone you love, if you were to get infected with the virus.

“You are helping to increase the number of Queenslanders who are vaccinated which will help to decrease the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

Logan Hospital Emergency Department Director Dr Yolande Weiner said staff from across the hospital were well prepared for the arrival of COVID in the community, but that residents stepping up for a vaccination now could make all the difference.

“We are so lucky to live in Queensland where we have very few COVID-19 outbreaks, and we have all seen the devastating impacts this virus has had in other states,” Dr Weiner said.

“We also know that the vaccination has been extremely successful in preventing serious illness in people who do contract COVID-19, so we would love to see as many of our Logan residents as possible help us and get vaccinated now.”

Dr Weiner said hospital staff had worked tirelessly responding to COVID-19 for the last two years but now it was crunch time.

“We need everyone to remember that whilst we know COVID-19 is coming, we as doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, admin officers, cleaners and all the other staff who keep our hospitals going, will also need to continue to provide much needed care to non-COVID patients.”

“By rolling up their sleeves to be vaccinated, people will help reduce the pressure on the health system when COVID comes into our community.”

Dr Weiner said now was the chance for people to take charge of their own health, not only to keep themselves safe, but their loved ones and their community safe as well.

“No one wants to see people in hospital desperately unwell from COVID-19 when we know that the vaccination can prevent that,” she said.

Originally published as Cafe on Cusack switches to take away only as of December 17 to accommodate unvaccinated customers