Canberra chief slams NSW’s ‘risky’ October reopening plans

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s goal to ease restrictions by mid-October has been slammed as ‘risky’ by her closest neighbouring leader.

Gladys Berejiklian’s promise that life will go back to “normal” for fully vaccinated NSW residents people by mid-October has been slammed by her closest neighbouring leader.

When asked about NSW’s October reopening plans, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he thought the idea was “ambitious,” stressing that Canberra was unlikely to follow suit.

“I wouldn't presume that because NSW might do something that’s adventurous and risky that we would copy them,” Mr Barr told reporters at his Covid-19 case update on Monday.

“That’s generally not been our approach.”

Ms Berejiklian told NSW residents last Wednesday that life would feel “very much more normal” by mid-October when the state was expected to reach the 70 per cent fully vaccinated target.

“Whether it is attending a public event or having a drink, if you are fully vaccinated and the state has hit its 70 per cent double dose target, please expect to do all of those things we have been missing for too long,” the NSW Premier said.

But Mr Barr criticised Ms Berejiklian for assuming she was able to flawlessly predict when the 70 per cent vaccination milestone would be reached, and for assuming that it would be safe to reopen at that point.

Gladys Berejiklian told NSW residents that life would feel ‘very much more normal’ by mid-October. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard.

“It’s difficult to project, whether NSW are going to start tapering the rate of vaccination growth, because they've got the most eager people that are already vaccinated and their share of the vaccine supply will start to reduce,” Mr Barr said.

“Right now playing rule-in or rule-out games on things that might happen in six or seven weeks, given a lot can change in six or seven days, just seems a little bit foolish.”

Instead, Mr Barr said his own jurisdiction would adapt it’s reopening plan as the spread of the virus itself shifted and changed.

“You want to understand the circumstances caseload, effective reproduction rate, and where the vaccine efficacy is at that point,” Mr Barr said.

“If there's a noticeable reduction in cases and a noticeable reduction in virus spread – when it would be safe to do so in six to seven weeks time – then we’ll look at (the possibility of reopening) then.”

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Canberra would not be following NSW if they pursued a reopening plan that was ‘adventurous and risky.’ Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas.

Canberra recorded 19 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the national capital’s total outbreak to 404.

Of the 19 new cases, 11 were in isolation for their entire infectious period, six were contagious out in the community, and two are yet to be determined.

Thirteen of the transmissions are linked to existing cases while six remain under investigation.

Mr Barr confirmed eight Canberrans were now in hospital with Covid-19, with one person in an Intensive Care Unit on ventilation.

The Chief Minister told reporters that although vaccination rates across the ACT were good, the territory still had a long way to go.

“There are still 185,000 Canberrans without any vaccination at all, and 267,000 who are not fully vaccinated,” he said.

“This means we are still several months away from 80 per cent of our 12-plus population being fully vaccinated.”