Fully vaccinated should be exempt from restrictions

A majority of Victorians back a major rethink of lockdowns and want vaccinated Aussies to be exempt from some Covid restrictions.

Most Victorians want people who are fully vaccinated to be exempt from all or some coronavirus restrictions and for lockdowns to be shelved once the jab has been made available to everyone.

A major poll – commissioned by the Herald Sun – reveals 70 per cent of Victorians support a major rethink on restrictions, with vaccinated Victorians given more freedoms during future outbreaks.

Even more – 75 per cent – back an end to lockdowns and border closures once everyone has had the chance to be vaccinated, regardless of how many actually do.

Such a move would see the state restriction-free and all domestic borders open by year’s end, when the federal government anticipates all Australians will have had the chance to be vaccinated.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports greater freedoms for those who get their shots.

VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said an easily available vaccination certificate or passport stored on smart devices or a licence-style card would be welcomed. A leading infectious diseases expert also backed both ideas, declaring the country can’t stop indefinitely for those who won’t be vaccinated.

Australian National University Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician, said people who were fully vaccinated had a right to expect greater freedoms even if others refused or deferred getting inoculated.

“If there is a conscious decision for people not to get vaccinated after we’ve given everybody the opportunity I think we have to put much less restrictions on people who are vaccinated,’’ he said.

“The whole country can’t stop for people who have got vaccine hesitancy or have made a decision not to get vaccinated.

Prof Allan Cheng receives the vaccine. Picture: Josie Hayden

“I don’t think we should force anybody to get vaccinated but equally if you decide not to get vaccinated that is likely to have some consequences.”

Prof Collignon said no vaccine provided absolute protection but lockdowns and border closures, both interstate and internationally with low-risk countries, would be difficult to justify once people all had the chance to be vaccinated.

“I think lockdowns at that stage would not be reasonable,’’ he said. “The borders – maybe some high-risk areas you may not let free movement from. The interstate borders in my view should not be closed to vaccinated people.”

Bipartisan polling firm RedBridge surveyed 1484 Victorians – a bigger sample than usual – between June 12-15.

Support for fully vaccinated people to be exempt from restrictions and an end to lockdowns once everyone had a chance to get vaccinated was evenly spread across age groups and political leanings.

Almost 85 per cent also wanted the state government to release public health advice used to decide lockdowns and restrictions.

Victorians hope the vaccine rollout will end tough restrictions.

Burnet Institute director Professor Brendan Crabb, an infectious disease researcher, said exempting fully vaccinated people from all Covid restrictions was unrealistic in the short-term given they could still spread the virus and vaccination rates were low.

But it could allow “smarter” lockdowns, such as letting small businesses and schools stay open if workers were vaccinated with safeguards such as adequate ventilation.

“We should test things like this,’’ Prof Crabb said.

“It’s realistic for us to have another have a dozen small lockdowns nationwide within the next six to nine months.”

Prof Crabb said vaccination targets tied to a staged relaxing of restrictions could give people an incentive to get the vaccine – especially with 25 per cent of Aussies, critical to achieving herd immunity, hesitant to get the shot.

New York lifted its Covid-19 restrictions after 70 per cent of adults were vaccinated, while Hungary allows inoculated residents to enter indoor dining rooms, hotels, theatres and cinemas.

Mr Guerra said “fully-vaccinated Australians should start to enjoy greater freedoms”.

“The ambition must be for us to remain open with the vaccine program ramping up, a national quarantine centre operating, Covid-safe plans and checking in everywhere we go. Lockdown four should be the last lockdown that Victorians have to endure,” he said.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said vaccination was crucial to the recovery of Melbourne’s CBD.

“We want Melbourne to become the most vaccinated city in Australia so we can move beyond lockdowns and restrictions, stay open, bring back the buzz and build confidence for local businesses, residents, workers and tourists,’’ she said.

A state government spokeswoman said specific rules for people fully vaccinated couldn’t be considered until more people got the jab.

“Until we have enough supply to vaccinate our state, proposals like this are not under consideration,’’ she said.

A state health department spokeswoman said: “The vaccination program is our ticket out of this pandemic - it will save lives and help keep life in Victoria as normal as possible.”

“Public health measures – from high testing rates to effective contact tracing, isolation measures and checking in at venues – will still be a critical part of Victoria’s response to coronavirus while the vaccination program is underway,” she said.

“Restrictions are constantly assessed by our expert public health teams based on medical and epidemiological advice.”

A Covid-19 vaccination certificate available via the Medicare app has been introduced, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants fully vaccinated Australians to be able to bypass state travel restrictions.

SCHOOLS MUST STAY OPEN IN FUTURE LOCKDOWNS

Victorian parents overwhelmingly support children being allowed to attend school if future lockdowns were to occur, a survey has revealed.

The poll, by research firm RedBridge, shows 48 per cent of respondents strongly support children attending school during lockdowns.

The polling results also reveal 27 per cent of respondents supported the move, while only 6 per cent strongly opposed it. It comes as Victorian schoolchildren have lost as much as 23.5 weeks of school in the past two years, compared with seven weeks in NSW, five weeks in Queensland and just one week in South Australia and the NT.

Tiffany Cherry and daughter Vivienne outside Middle Park Primary School. Picture: David Geraghty

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Professor Sharon Goldfeld said closing schools “should be a last resort, especially for childcare and primary school children as cases in this age group are less likely to transmit and be associated with an outbreak”.

Albert Park mum Tiffany Cherry, whose daughter Vivienne, 6, attends Middle Park Primary School, said she “strongly supported” schools staying open.

“Social interaction is imperative for a child’s development and mental health,” Ms Cherry said.