1923 cases, 25 deaths; probe into handling of pandemic won’t be reopened

Tough new measures have been announced to Victoria’s vaccine exemption policy in a bid to crack down on clinic shoppers keen to dodge jab mandates.

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Victorians who are exempt from the Covid-19 vaccination will soon require a certificate from the Australian Immunisation Register as part of a bid to stop clinic shoppers who just don’t want to get the jab.

Deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said some GPs had reportedly faced quite significant pressure from some people who don’t want to get the vaccine for reasons beyond the limited exemptions.

He said some people had been travelling from clinic to clinic seeking an exemption.

From 6pm on Friday, new directions will come into force meaning the Australian Immunisation Register medical exemption form must be used to provide patients proof of medical exemption to any vaccination requirements in Victoria.

From Friday at 6pm it can be accessed through myGov in the same way as the vaccination certificates.

“So for people who currently have an exemption letter that is not the Australian Immunisation Register form, such as a standard letter or certificate from their GP, they will need to return to their medical practitioner so that the AIR form can be submitted, and this will need to occur November 12,” Professor Cowie said.

Professor Ben Cowie says some people have been travelling from clinic to clinic seeking a vaccine exemption. Picture: Sarah Matray

“Up until that date, they can continue to use their doctor’s certificate or letter, as they are now.”

It comes as 25 Victorians have died with Covid in the outbreak’s deadliest day, with 1923 new cases also emerging.

More than 82,600 tests were received on Wednesday, while at least 76.9 of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated.

There are 746 people in hospital with the virus, including 137 in ICU and 85 on a ventilator.

Meanwhile, a push to reopen a probe into the government’s handling of the pandemic has been narrowly defeated because three crossbench MPs are banned from voting.

Liberal Democrats MP David Limbrick on Wednesday put a up motion to hold a parliamentary inquiry into how Covid has been managed in Victoria.

It was shot down because the vote ended in a 16-all deadlock.

The opposition, and most crossbench MPs, voted in favour of the inquiry and Labor voted against the motion with the support of Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick.

But it would have been passed if more crossbenchers had been in the chamber.

Mr Limbrick is banned from attending parliament, along with fellow Liberal Democrat Tim Quilty after they refused to hand over medical information as required under current vaccination rules.

Mr Limbrick said a “reasonable compromise” would have been to allow the MPs to attend after receiving negative rapid antigen tests.

“I wouldn’t even ask the taxpayer to fund it,” he said.

“You can register your position on legislation but (if you aren’t there) the vote can’t actually count. You have to physically be there.”

Mr Limbrick said most of the crossbench had voted in favour of reopening the parliamentary inquiry, which was last held at the start of 2021.

“A lot has happened since February and now, including police responses to protests and vaccination mandates,” he said.

“I thought those things were worthy of scrutiny.

David Limbrick put forward the motion but couldn’t vote on the matter. Picture: Ian Currie

Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick voted with Labor to quash the motion. Picture: Mike Dugdale

“It is disappointing. If it is not going to happen through this motion maybe the Parliamentary Estimates and Accounts Committee will reopen the inquiry instead.”

It comes as the approval rating of the state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak has hit its lowest level since March.

The latest Essential Research polling, conducted last week, shows the government’s handling of the pandemic has for the third consecutive time been voted the worst of the state governments, with a 43 per cent approval rating – 20 per cent lower than its May peak.

Daniel Andrews’ approval rating also dipped, falling to 52 per cent.

While 20 per cent of Victorians strongly approved of the job he was doing as premier, 24 per cent strongly disapproved.

Only NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, at 47 per cent, had a lower approval rating.

MP BACKFLIPS ON VAX STATUS DISCLOSURE

Independent Upper House MP Catherine Cumming has returned to parliament after backflipping on her refusal to prove she had been double vaccinated.

Ms Cumming this week had been working out of a nightclub in Melbourne’s CBD alongside Liberal Democrat MPs David Limbrick and Tim Quilty, who also have refused to hand over their vaccine certificate.

The parliament ban will remain in place until they agree to provide their medical details or until the second parliament sitting day of the new year.

Catherine Cumming has backflipped on her refusal to provide her vaccine status. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ms Cumming returned to parliament on Thursday morning after finally deciding to produce her records.

Her onsite ban had previously meant that she would not be able to vote on key Bills, including the Andrews government’s new pandemic legislation.

When asked if she had been double vaccinated, Ms Cumming said: “I’ve handed in my paperwork … This is my private information and nobody should be asking people if they’re vaccinated or not.

“It’s not the right way to go about this. We don’t need a divided community.”

Ms Cumming said she was happy to prove her vaccine status through a QR code check in, but she wasn’t happy to print out and provide her vaccination certificate on paper.

She argues that a rapid antigen test on entry to the building should suffice.

SURPRISE SPIKE IN INNERSOUTH

Melbourne’s southeast was again the hotspot of Victoria’s 1923 new Covid infections on Thursday.

Deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said the local government areas of Casey recorded 193 new cases, while Glen Eira, also in the southeast, had 57.

“That is a significant uptake on what we’ve seen previously in that area (Glen Eira),” Professor Cowie said.

He said there were also 38 cases in Wodonga, which is also battling a significant outbreak, along with Albury on the NSW side of the Murray River.

There were also 31 new cases in Shepparton.

But in some positive news, Professor Cowie said for the first time in three weeks the state’s Thursday figure was under 2000 new cases.

NO VAX STATUS FOR COVID DEATHS

The Victorian health department has refused to release the vaccination status on the 25 people who died with coronavirus.

The spike in new deaths were reported on Thursday, which was the highest number of daily deaths of the current Delta outbreak.

When asked whether they were vaccinated, deputy chief health officer Ben Cowie said the data was available but they “we’re not going to be reporting on that”.

Instead, he said 85 per cent of Victorians who tested positive to Covid-19 in the past seven days were not fully vaccinated.

“For hospitals, 69 per cent of people who ended up in hospital were unvaccinated completely compared with 98 per cent being eligible,” he said.

“For intensive care, 80 per cent were completely unvaccinated, no doses. So it’s very clear the impact of vaccination on serious illness and loss of life.”

THIRD SHOT APPROVED

Pfizer booster shots have been approved to be given to Australians over 18 – at least six months after their second dose of any Covid-19 vaccine.

Aged care and disability residents in Victoria will be among the first to roll up their sleeves under a state government push to protect its most vulnerable from the ongoing outbreak.

The general population booster program still needs the final tick from Australia’s expert immunisation panel but, once given, will begin by November 8.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Wednesday questioned whether the announcement would affect people’s vaccination status, saying that “to be fully vaccinated, you may need your booster”.

But Health Minister Greg Hunt said experts “have been at pains to point out” that boosters were about additional protection and people remained fully vaccinated with two vaccines.

This means Australians will not need a booster shot to be recognised as vaccinated when travelling overseas.

Children aged 6-11 may soon be able to get the Covid vaccine. Picture: Daniel Pockett

“It’s a universal booster and so it’s available for people who’ve had Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna,” Mr Hunt said.

“We have the supplies and we have the distribution mechanisms. We’ll just work with the states, the GPs, the pharmacies, the commonwealth vaccination clinics and the Indigenous vaccination clinics to ensure everything’s in place.

“We will commence aged care and disability as a priority.”

Mr Hunt said Victoria was looking to start the booster rollout “immediately” for people who had their shot at least six months ago.

Mr Andrews said the state was awaiting details of the program but was “happy to play our part”.

Pharmacies that administer AstraZeneca and Moderna shots will also be given access to Pfizer.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s deputy secretary, Professor John Skerritt, confirmed the boosters were safe for pregnant women and people who did not initially receive a Pfizer vaccine.

As revealed by the Herald Sun on Tuesday, about 1.6 million people will be eligible for a booster by the end of the year.

Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler demanded the government reveal its plan to roll out the shots, particularly among health workers.

“People simply can’t afford for Scott Morrison to bungle boosters in the way he bungled the broader vaccine rollout,” Mr Butler said.

Virological expert Professor Damian Purcell said booster shots increased immunity to higher levels than second doses, had “much better protection” against the new variants, such as Delta, and reduced transmission.

Moderna is yet to submit an application for its mRNA vaccine to be used as a booster shot, while Novavax will provide its data in the next fortnight.