Gladys Berejiklian to consider plan to allow fully vaccinated people out

Hospitality king Luke Mangan is among those backing a proposal to have fully vaccinated people be allowed back into bars, pubs and clubs again.

Hospitality giants are pushing for a vaccine passport-style reopening of ­venues for double-vaccinated patrons as soon as next month as the NSW government weighs jab incentives.

As the NSW Premier ­declared she had a target of six million jabs this month, ­industry is mounting a push for incremental freedoms tied to vaccine thresholds.

Multiple cabinet ministers are supportive of programs which would allow limited ­activity for vaccinated groups, but any approach will be ­incremental depending on case numbers in NSW. The hospitality and clubs sector has borne a significant burden from lockdowns, with massive revenue downturns and the longest restrictions faced by any sector.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has left open the possibility of allowing vaccinated people to go to hospitality venues. Picture: Getty Images

Addressing incentives, Ms Berejiklian said: “We’re very keen to explore what opportunities we can provide.

“In particular, we know that people value their freedom, their desire to go back to work, their desire to engage in community life. And those are the type of incentives that will be looking at over the next ­little while to provide our citizens with the opportunities to know, that if they’re vaccinated and their loved ones are vaccinated, there will be ­opportunities for greater freedom moving forward.”

NSW reported 199 new cases on Tuesday, with 50 ­infectious in the community.

Sydney hospitality king Luke Mangan said he supported the idea of a pathway to freedom based on vaccinations, but said it would only be viable from a business sense once more of the population was vaccinated.

“We don’t really have a clear pathway at this stage and that’s very much needed. If there is a vision to get to that point it’s something I would certainly consider,” Mr Mangan said. “What’s the point of us all getting vaccinated and still being locked up?”

Chef Luke Mangan says there is no poiunt in being vaccinated if everyone is cooped up inside. Picture: Tim Hunter.

ClubsNSW chief Josh Landis said: “We think anyone who does the right thing and gets vaccinated should be ­allowed to enjoy some of life’s usual freedoms once again, such as enjoying themselves at their local club.”

ClubsNSW has led the way on incentivisation practices, promoting a free drink for anyone fully vaccinated when freedoms are restored.

Sydney Restaurant Group owner Bill Drakopolous said allowing double-dosed patrons back into restaurants would be great if it meant hospitality could restart.

“If the government were to say you’re only welcoming vaccinated people, and that means you can open in early September, something like that, fantastic,” he said. “If that was a way to get our workforce back, dust the cobwebs off our chairs and tables, get trading again, not rely on government handouts to live from week to week … we’ll do that with open arms.”

A Restaurant and Catering Association spokesman said: “Allowing double vaccinated people more freedom to visit their favourite restaurant or cafe is a simple and effective way to quickly boost take up of the vaccine”.

Ms Berejiklian yesterday outlined a “target” of six million vaccine doses by the end of the month. She said the state government was focused on providing incentives for what “people really want”.

“They want peace of mind that they can move more freely, send their kids to school, work, so any incentives around those things we think are great motivators,” she said.

But hours later, PM Scott Morrison declared that NSW would only be able to ease ­restrictions if the number of cases infectious in the community reduced “down to a level where they can be suppressed and contained”.

Restaurant owner Bill Drakopoulos says he would embrace such a plan with open arms. Picture: AAP Image Monique Harmer

The Premier said it was still her goal to get the number of cases infectious in the community as “close to zero as possible” but said future ­restrictions would also be based on vaccination rates.

“The tight lockdown provisions (and) the vaccine” are the “two main weapons of getting to a place where we can live more freely,” Ms Berejiklian said. “The more of us that get vaccinated, the greater chance we have to live freely beyond August 29.”

Of her target of getting to six million vaccine doses this month, she indicated she wanted half of the population to have “at least one dose,” but ­people in local government areas of concern to be fully vaccin­ated.

Originally published as Gladys Berejiklian to consider plan to allow fully vaccinated people out