Susie O’Brien: It’s time for Dan Andrews to get out of people’s lives

Daniel Andrews has promised over and over that Covid rules will only be in place as long as they serve a purpose, so he must remove workplace jab mandates and get in step with other states.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews should remove vaccine mandates for all workers.

There is no justification for the continuation of the “jabs for jobs” mandate.

Only aged care and health workers in acute setting should still have to be vaccinated or lose their jobs.

The continuation of some of the strictest workplace mandates in the country — which mean workers such as teachers, food distribution workers, prison guards, meat processors are being laid off for not having three jabs — are nonsensical in this post-covid era.

Even workers in airports, accommodation, creative arts, funerals, manufacturing, mining and real estate – among many others – need to have two jabs to keep their jobs.

These workplace vaccine mandates cannot be justified given that the average person doesn’t have to provide proof of vaccination for most day-to-day settings.

Why should workers in a few remaining industries be forced to be vaccinated or face the sack?

We don’t have to be vaccinated any more to go to dinner, go on campus at our kids’ schools or visit the supermarket.

So why should workers in a few remaining industries be forced to be vaccinated or face the sack, especially if they aren’t frontline workers dealing with members of the public or in sensitive settings?

Yet again Victoria is out of step with other states such as NSW which has lifted all vaccine mandates except for aged care and disability workers.

Victorians have worked hard to reach herd immunity and protect each other. The fact that more than 90 per cent of us have had two doses and two-thirds have three should be enough.

There is also no justification for individual workplaces such as Coles, Woolworths, Virgin Australia, Telstra and the Commonwealth Bank to require staff to be vaccinated unless they are dealing with vulnerable members of the public.

The recent removal of check-ins, mask-wearing and household isolation rules mark the arrival of our post-covid era. Picture: David Crosling

The mandates are against the advice of chief health officer Brett Sutton, who said on April 7 that they could be removed at most workplaces.

The recent removal of check-ins, mask-wearing and household isolation rules mark the arrival of our post-covid era.

Although there are still significant cases, there are 456 people in hospital and 28 people in ICU.

Weeks ago, Health Minister Martin Foley said the government wanted to get out of people’s lives. He said the high vaccination rates should “get us safely through the winter”.

It’s hardly a surprise that this hasn’t happened yet given the appalling track record of the government.

Premier Daniel Andrews has promised time and again that rules will only be in place for as long as they serve a purpose.

It’s time for him to keep his promise.