Sydney positive case was not vaccinated despite being a frontline worker

Sydney’s first case of community transmission in weeks was a frontline worker – and yet he was not vaccinated, highlighting a major issue.

ANALYSIS

Frontline workers were supposed to be at the front of the queue for the covid vaccine.

You can’t get much more frontline than the drivers who ferry international flight crew to and from the airport.

So how is it a possible that a driver whose job is to pick up airline crew flying in from covid hot spots and ferry them to hotels still hasn’t received the jab? A man who is 60 years old?

And should it be mandatory for frontline workers including aged care workers, drivers and hotel quarantine workers?

On Wednesday afternoon, an urgent investigation was sparked after a man from Bondi in his 60s, who worked as a driver and for international flight crew, tested positive.

The driver’s wife has also tested positive, a second locally acquired case.

But this case requires more than contact tracing.

It also requires an investigation into why the worker was not vaccinated.

There might be a good reasons for this. However, to date we are yet to hear it.

During a press conference on Thursday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was asked why the driver wasn’t vaccinated.

“All workers and drivers within the quarantine system have strict obligations which are covered in our health orders. If there’s been any breach of that compliance, the police will advise us of that,” she said.

Ms Berejiklian said all permanent workers in hotel quarantine were vaccinated but there are “there are new people, subcontractors of subcontractors coming into the system”.

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This is the effect of vaccine hesitancy. As a frontline worker over 60 he would have been eligible for months. He just didn't get it. https://t.co/uDh6sjMh8q

— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) June 16, 2021

Potential exposure sites across Sydney as a result of the outbreak. Picture: Supplied

RELATED: ‘Serious breach’: Questions over new case

Australian political leaders have been loathe to mandate a covid vaccination. It took another outbreak in Victoria to force governments to act even on aged care workers despite the devastation that outbreaks in nursing homes had previously caused.

In May, Victoria announced public sector workers in Victoria who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be stood down from frontline duties.

Even if political leaders baulk at mandating vaccination surely it’s commonsense to make it required in some frontline occupations?

But what that outbreak also taught us was the Morrison Government couldn’t say how many aged care workers were not vaccinated.

Do they know how many frontline workers remain at risk not just to themselves but to the rest of the community? It’s long past time that they found out.

Consider also for a moment that the source of the NSW northern beaches outbreak remains a mystery.

Back when those suburbs were locked down for weeks we never got to the bottom of the true source.

Rumours swirled that an international pilot was responsible. But the NSW government never found out. It was during that outbreak that we learned that international crew were not being required to quarantine in a hotel.

All we know about that northern beaches outbreak is that testing showed it had a close comparison to one particular returned traveller who arrived in Australia on December 1.

She was taken straight to hotel quarantine under the normal processes. A couple of days into her stay she fell ill and was subsequently taken to a hotel specifically designed for infectious people. She then tested positive to coronavirus.

RELATED:Picture shows Bondi’s virus panic

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visiting the CSL vaccine manufacturing facility in February 2021. Picture: David Caird-Pool/Getty Images

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So we don’t know how that woman’s case and the northern beaches outbreak was linked.

But one possibility is that it was another driver.

The case for requiring frontline workers to be vaccinated is strong. But do we even know how many frontline workers are not vaccinated or where the gaps are? It’s time the Morrison Government found out.

Sydney exposure sites

Anyone who visited any of the following venues of concern must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate until you receive further information:

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 11 from 9.15am-9.50am

• Sourdough Bakery, Bondi Junction: June 11 from 12.40pm-1.10pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 12 from 10.20am-10.45am

• David Jones, Bondi Junction: June 12 from 11am-11.40am

• Myer Bondi, Bondi Junction: June 12 from 11.40am-12.15pm

• Washoku Vaucluse, Vaucluse: June 12 from 12pm-1.30pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 12 from 1.20pm-1.50pm

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 13 from 11.30am-12pm

• Event Cinemas, Bondi Junction: All screenings other than the Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard on June 13 from 1.30pm-4pm

• Rocco’s, Vaucluse: June 14 from 10.55am-11.30am

• Belle Cafe, Vaucluse: June 15 from 9.50am-10.25am

• Celeste Catering Macquarie Park Cemetery Cafe, North Ryde: Macquarie Park Cemetery, Corner of Delhi and Plassey roads on June 15 from 1pm-1.20pm

• Harry’s Coffee and Kitchen, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 3pm-3.40pm

• NAB in Westfield, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 2.45pm-3.10pm

• David Jones in Westfield, Bondi Junction: June 15 from 3.30pm-4.15pm

• Field to Fork, Vaucluse: June 11 from 12pm-4pm

Anyone on the following public transport service is a close contact and must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were on the bus, regardless of the result:

• Bondi Junction to North Sydney, 200 Bus: From Bondi Junction interchange to Blue St, North Sydney (near North Sydney Station) on June 15, departing at approximately 4.25pm and arriving at approximately 5pm.

Anyone who attended the following venue is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received:

• Fruitologist, Bondi: June 15 from 1pm-2pm

A new pop-up testing clinic has opened in Surry Hills at Albion Street Centre Laverty Pathology, 150 Albion Street (Crown Street entrance) and will operate from 8am-6pm, seven days a week.