Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announces end of public health emergency, vaccine mandate

NT businesses are hoping the end of the Territory’s vaccination mandates will provide some relief to chronic worker shortages, but one industry has reservations about the decision.

THE NT’s worker vaccine mandate is set to come to an end, providing some relief for industries suffering through chronic worker shortages.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announced that the mandate, along with the public health emergency, will finish on June 16.

However, new legislation means the chief health officer still has the power to issue a number of directions, including rules for isolating, mandating masks and vaccines and reporting test results.

It comes as the Marrara Covid-19 vaccine clinic is set to close on June 30, following high rates of vaccinations.

The Howard Springs quarantine facility will also cease operations.

“We have got through this so much better than we first feared back at the start,” Ms Fyles said.

”Living with Covid means we’re now in a place where we can revoke many of the CHO directions such as exclusion zones, lock in areas, safety measures for businesses, quarantine workers and facilitate major events, crowd limits and mandatory vaccinations,” she said.

“We will continue to provide information around Covid to Territorians.”

Late on Thursday, Public Employment Commissioner Vicki Telfer confirmed 255 permanent and fixed-term contract employees had been terminated because of the mandate.

The Territory Check In App largely fell out of use after Omicron became widespread in the Northern Territory. Picture: Nathaniel Chambers.

Hospitality NT chief Alex Bruce said the decision to scrap the mandates had been “warmly received” by businesses and staff.

“It’s good news, common sense has prevailed,” Mr Bruce said.

“We look forward to putting a full stop on this pandemic and never talking about Covid again.

“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for anyone recruiting, including major events.”

Mr Bruce said worker shortages were going to be slightly alleviated by mandates ending but the impacts of two years of border closures were being felt by hospitality and tourism.

“It was one of the things that was impacting the workplace shortage,” he said.

“We’re on a two to three year rebuild with skilled (workers).”

Australian Medical Association NT president Robert Parker said the decision to scrap the mandates was inevitable.

“I think it's reasonable. In the end you’ve got to adjust,” Dr Parker said.

Master Builders NT Chief Executive David Malone (pictured) welcomed the changes along with Hospitality NT. Picture: File.

“Ideally I think it would be better to have a vaccine mandate just so you can have confidence the people you’re working with are protected.”

Dr Parker said the decision would “potentially” increase hospital workload but acknowledged that the state of emergency couldn’t continue indefinitely.

“I think (emergency wards) will be busier.”

Master Builders NT executive director Dave Malone welcomed the change, saying his industry had lost between 5 and 6 per cent of its workforce from the mandate.

“At the time, there were 13,000 people in our industry, so it was 600-700 people,” Mr Malone said.

“It certainly didn’t help and it put us behind the 8 ball because our industry was shrinking at a time when demand was growing.

“I understand the government’s desire to protect the health system and protect the community - it was pretty heavy-handed though wasn’t it.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles (left) announced the changes, but the CLP’s health spokesman Bill Yan (right) has urged the government to go further. Picture: File.

The CLP’s health spokesman Bill Yan welcomed the end of the government’s mandate, but slammed it as “too little, too late” to help many businesses in hospitality, tourism and retail.

Mr Yan also took aim at the Labor government’s recent legislation granting the chief health officer a further two years of extraordinary powers, urging Ms Fyles to undo the changes.

“Under these laws, the CHO can still implement a vaccine mandate at any time,” he said.

“We don’t support extraordinary powers, including search and seize powers without a warrant, handed to an unelected official for the next two years.”

The NT was the last state or territory to require a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for the majority of workers.

The NT is also one of the few Australian states or territories not providing free flu vaccines, despite an unprecedented outbreak of the virus in recent weeks.

There has been considerable stress on the health system as a result.

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Originally published as Chief Minister Natasha Fyles announces end of public health emergency, vaccine mandate