Federal government reject NSW Premier’s vaccine claims

The Morrison government has directly rebutted claims by the NSW Premier that the national cabinet has stopped her from mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for quarantine workers.

The Bondi Covid-19 drive-through testing clinic had only a few cars this afternoon despite a positive Covid case having been at the Bondi Westfields recently. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The Morrison government has directly rebutted claims by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that the national cabinet has stopped her from mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for quarantine workers, confirming state authorities are in charge of their own public health orders.

Ms Berejiklian came under fire this week after the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 was detected in an unvaccinated driver transporting airline crew, quickly spreading to three others.

When asked why the man had not yet received the jab, Ms Berejiklian said only “strong recommendations” were in place for transport workers to be vaccinated, blaming the “national cabinet process” for not giving state authorities “the green light to mandate that”.

But on Friday, Scott Morrison’s office repudiated the claim.

“The Prime Minister has made clear that the decision to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory rests with the states and territories,” a spokesman said.

“They can issue such a directive through public health orders.”

NSW Police are continuing to investigate how the private limousine driver contracted the virus, and whether he was wearing a mask or had received routine daily testing.

The airport’s limousine car park joined the growing list of potential exposure sites on Friday evening, but NSW Health did not respond to an inquiry from The Australian as to the circumstances surrounding it.

International aircrew arrivals undergo less scrutiny than passengers, as the airlines are left in charge to select “appropriate transportation” to take crew to their destination – be it a government quarantine facility for foreign nationals, or, for NSW residents, their homes for self-isolation.

This is the second time a privately employed driver transporting airline workers has tested positive for the virus, after a Sydney Ground Transport employee contracted it in December.

The new outbreak has reignited calls for the state government to tighten regulations on contracted quarantine workers.

“It’s meant to be a fortress but the backdoor has been left open,” the state’s opposition health spokesman Ryan Park said. “There are clear gaps and the government still hasn’t addressed these issues.”

UNSW epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre said: “Everyone at the border is at risk. If we want a ring of steel around our border we have to make sure everyone coming in contact with travellers is protected.”

Another new case was announced on Wednesday in a man in his 50s who caught the virus through “fleeting” transmission from the transport driver at Myer in Bondi Junction. Rapid testing overnight showed the household contacts of Friday’s case had not been infected.

Queensland has shut its border to anyone who has visited the Waverley Council area over the past 14 days, while South Australia and Tasmania have closed their border to anyone who had visited an exposure site.