‘No vaccine, no entry’ considered for footy, major events

People who are fully Covid-vaccinated may be granted greater freedoms, including ­access to big events such as AFL games.

Premier Daniel Andrews has flagged discussions will be needed about granting greater freedoms, including access to major events, for people who are fully vaccinated.

Asked about whether people would need to prove they were vaccinated or Covid-free to attend major events, including AFL matches, Mr Andrews said an “informed discussion” should be had when more Australians were jabbed.

“It [the vaccine] will be here September, October, November ... then I think we can have an informed discussion and say; Right, we’re at X per cent ... here’s all the benefits that might flow from that,” Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.

“Once we’ve got many, many more people with the jab, we can then have a discussion about what that might mean for them, freedom of movement, changes that deal with some of the risks we face.”

Discussions are underway about whether fans may need to prove they were vaccinated or Covid-free to attend AFL games.

Such a regime could see those who refuse to get vaccinated denied entry to AFL and other code matches next year, possibly the Boxing Day Test against England and even the Spring Racing Carnival, if enough people are jabbed by then.

The Herald Sun revealed on Tuesday that large crowds were under review amid concerns about the spread of Covid’s Delta strain at stadiums, including AAMI Park and the MCG.

Half a dozen spectators picked up the virus at a football match on July 10, while three rugby fans — including one thought to have been infected while queuing to enter the stadium — have also tested positive.

Health officials said “everything was on the table” in regards to safety measures, including vaccination requirements and proof of negative tests, at major events.

An AFL spokesperson would only say that the league “will continue to work with and be led by the Victorian State government on the return to crowds in Victoria”.

Arts Centre Melbourne chief executive Claire Spencer said it had and would continue to take expert health advice, and would “strongly support the Victorian government’s advice that mass vaccination of the population is our pathway out of COVID-19”.

Mr Andrews’s comments follow a poll, commissioned by the Herald Sun, that last month found 70 per cent of Victorians supported fully vaccinated people being exempt from some or all restrictions.

Every adult Australian is expected to have access to at least one dose by the end of the year, meaning all those who want the jab should be fully inoculated three to 12 weeks into 2022, depending on the vaccine administered.

There have been concerns about the spread of Covid’s Delta strain at stadiums, including AAMI Park where the Wallabies played France on July 13. Picture: Darrian Traynor

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp on Tuesday called on leaders to set a date or vaccination target for when Australia will reopen.

Prior to the lockdown, large venues in Victoria had capacity caps and were required to ensure social distancing and detailed ticketing data for contact tracing.

But stadiums and sporting codes overseas have gone much further, some requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test, separating fans based on whether they have had the jab, introducing staggered entry and even selling tickets to only inoculated supporters.

Epidemiologist Adrian Esterman said he supported introducing new provisions, such as rapid testing, proof of negative tests and staggered entry, for large events — but only once everyone had the chance to be jabbed.

“When things settle down, we’ve got down to zero cases... we can start reopening again, with the proviso that we use risk reduction,” he said.

AFL Fans’ Association Treasurer, Ron Issko, said there would be a “mixed” reaction to any new rules.

Chair of Epidemiology at Deakin University, Catherine Bennett, said rapid testing would likely play a bigger role in Victoria in the future.

“I think it will probably have more of a role, whether it’s in workplaces or other places where you have these potential super spreader events,” Dr Bennett said.

AFL Fans’ Association Treasurer, Ron Issko, said there would be a “mixed” reaction to any new rules, with footy tragics likely to attend but casual spectators driven away.

“You’ve got the fans, those that will go whether it’s hot, or cold or raining or hail. They still want to go,” Mr Issko said.

“You’ve got the middle sort of fans that are saying maybe we should pause a season and you’ve got the other fans who are saying ‘I’ll watch on TV, I don’t want to go’, so it’s a mixed bag.”