Business ups pressure for quicker Covid-19 jab rollout

Business leaders have seized on the latest coronavirus outbreak in Victoria to urge Australians to get vaccinated.

Scott Morrison in question time on Wednesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Business leaders have seized on the latest coronavirus outbreak in Victoria to urge Australians to get vaccinated, saying all governments must agree at what stage of the rollout borders will remain open and restrictions permanently lifted.

As Scott Morrison defends the country’s “99.9 per cent effective” hotel quarantine system and Health Minister Greg Hunt reveals a record day of 104,000 jabs administered, Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said arguments around whether to get vaccinated or not would remain “far trickier” until a reopening plan was locked in.

While there have been demands for the federal government to be more transparent on how many Australians are fully vaccinated, the West Australian government has begun publishing a state-by-state breakdown of people who have received both coronavirus doses.

Based on commonwealth data provided to the states, it shows the ACT is leading the pack with 5.6 per cent of its population aged 16 years and older fully vaccinated, followed by the Northern Territory (5.5 per cent), Tasmania (4.7 per cent), South Australia (2.7), WA (2.3), NSW (2.2), Queensland (2.1) and Victoria (1.9).

The new community transmission cases in Victoria have sparked a big increase in the number of people getting vaccinated, but Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Jenny Lambert said the country’s success against the spread of Covid-19 could be “our Achilles heel” when it comes to vaccine take-up.

Ms Lambert said any move by the states to begin vaccinating ineligible cohorts must be consistent so that messaging is not further confused, after SA began inoculating children in regional areas and Victoria flagged the possible expansion of vaccination beyond those aged over 50.

“The situation in Melbourne should be a reminder to all that Australia is not immune to outbreaks and vaccination is the best way to protect ourselves and others and prevent more lockdowns,” Ms Lambert said.

“If there are valid reasons to speed up vaccinating specific cohorts in advance of agreed timetables, this should be collectively considered and decided ensuring clarity of message.”

Mr Willox agreed a quicker rollout was an obvious health benefit but said, given vaccinations were not mandatory, governments needed to sell and agree on other incentives to rapidly increase numbers.

The Prime Minister is due to take a proposal to exempt vaccinated Australians from domestic COVID-19 restrictions to national cabinet next Friday.

“The best carrot would be a clear plan for opening borders and free travel when vaccination coverage reaches an agreed rate,” Mr Willox said.

“Vaccination talk is a conversation shifter away from necessary talk on a plan to normalise living with Covid whether vaccinated or not.”

In federal parliament, Labor accused the government of leaving Australians’ health exposed by failing to create a “safe, national, purpose-built quarantine system” and delivering a “bungled”, slower-than-expected vaccine rollout.

Mr Morrison said he was in active talks with Victoria about a dedicated quarantine facility on the outskirts of Melbourne – speaking to acting premier James Merlino as recently as Wednesday – and had already investing $500m to upgrade the Howard Springs facility near Darwin.

“Those opposite may want to retreat into whingeing and complaining and undermining the government as we fight the virus and they focus on the politics,” the Prime Minister said.