Chief Minister Michael Gunner doubles down on refusal to share NT’s vaccines with NSW
NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has doubled down on his stance not to share the Territory’s allocation of Covid-19 vaccines with New South Wales.
Northern Territory
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NT CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has doubled down on his stance not to share the Territory’s allocation of Covid-19 vaccines with New South Wales.
NSW is struggling under a ballooning outbreak of the Delta Covid-19 strain.
Despite mounting pressure from NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian to share vaccines, Mr Gunner said he could not due to the Territory’s vulnerable population.
“Yes, we are currently leading the nation in the vaccine rollout – but we have to, because we have Australia’s most vulnerable populations, with Australia’s biggest logistic challenges for the rollout,” Mr Gunner said on a lenghty Facebook post this morning.
He said medical staff were working to ensure as many people in remote communities could receive the jab before the onset of the Wet season.
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He said the Wet would create logistic hurdles for the distribution of vaccines.
“The Wet season will return in a few months,” he said.
“That means many remote communities will be a lot harder to access.
“We are moving heaven and earth to get as many remote residents vaccinated ASAP, before there is another hurdle in our way.”
He said while he would not share the NT’s quota of vaccines he had “great sympathy” for NSW.
“We have all got friends or family over there, we are all thinking of them,” he said.
“I hope in the future we will be in a position to do more to help them. But my job is to look out for Territorians, to put them first.”
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