Mayors of King and Flinders islands reveal concerns ahead of border reopening

Vaccination rates on Tasmania’s two Bass Strait islands are proceeding well, but the mayors of both communities admit to nervousness about the reopening of state borders.

THE leaders of King and Flinders islands concede it is inevitable Covid-19 will reach their communities, and admit to trepidation about the reopening of Tasmanian borders.

But with both island communities now having surpassed an 80 per cent first vaccination rate, hopes are high that more than 90 per cent will eventually become fully vaccinated.

The islands’ mayors say it is crucial that level is reached, with an influx of visitors expected over summer as the state welcomes vaccinated domestic and international travellers.

Due to their small populations, the islands’ Covid-19 vaccination figures are not reported at a national level like most other Tasmanian local government areas.

KIng Island Mayor Julie Arnold. Picture: Chris Thiele

But King Island Mayor Julie Arnold said her community was rolling up its sleeves to protect itself from the virus.

Cr Arnold said the island’s population was about 1600, of which about 1300 were currently eligible to get the jab.

The latest figures showed 82.1 per cent of the eligible population was vaccinated and 68.1 per cent are fully vaccinated, with the jabs predominantly administered at the Ochre Health medical centre.

“I would like to see us at 90 per cent obviously and that would be lovely if that was before the 15th of December,” Cr Arnold said.

“We’ll continue to advertise and to mentor and try and champion people to continue to have the vaccine here.”

Cr Arnold said the island’s community was particularly vulnerable to the virus and it was “a bit of a cloud” to opening borders, but said vaccination was the best protection.

“Anyone would be quite foolish to think it’s not going to come to every corner of the world and we’re well aware it will come here,’’ she said.

“It’s everyone’s right to make the decision, but if people are willing, please just get vaccinated, stop procrastinating and make the appointment.”

Flinders Island Mayor Annie Revie. Picture: PATRICK GEE

Flinders Island Mayor Annie Revie said the island’s population of about 1000 had also responded well to the vaccination call.

“I believe we are quite well over 80 per cent with our vaccine and about 65-70 per cent with the two,” she said.

“To be quite honest it’s a worry here because we’re so small and our Aboriginal people are already more vulnerable in terms of health, and we’ve got a high percentage of older people and people already with chronic illness.

“We actually have planes flying here direct from Launceston, Hobart and Melbourne and it’s a little bit of a worry as to how it will go when the borders open.”

Cr Revie said the island held its show on Friday last week, the same day it was declared southern Tasmania was going into lockdown for three days.

“You could say it’s not a very high risk, but we don’t see ourselves like that, because if one person got it here it would be round the place like wildfire,” she said.

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Hobart’s northern suburbs answer vax call to arms

Bridgewater has answered the call to arms, with nearly 10 per cent of the population rolling up their sleeves to receive their first jab over the last week.

After emerging from the three-day snap lockdown, first-dose vaccination rates in the Brighton local government area spiked from 70.7 per cent to 80.5 per cent.

The Brighton area used to be the fifth worst in Tasmania in terms of vaccine take-up, but has leapfrogged 10 places up the charts to take the 11th best.

VAX BLITZ: Hobart has seen a significant increase in vaccinate take-up following the hotel quarantine breach.

JABBED: Karen Henderson rolls up her sleeves for her first Covid vaccine. Picture: Kenji Sato

The snap lockdown was what motivated Bridgewater resident Karen Henderson into getting her very first dose of Covid vaccine this week.

“It’s the right thing to do. I want to be safe and I want to be free,” Ms Henderson said.

“The situation’s absolutely aggravating and I hope he [the quarantine hotel escapee] goes to jail.”

Ms Henderson said she couldn’t stand wearing the mask all day long, since they fog up her glasses and obscure her vision.

Bridgewater resident Michael Tonks came in for his second serving of Covid vaccine this week after seeing a pop-up clinic open up in the civic centre.

Mr Tonks said he’d received his first dose a while ago and had been meaning to get his follow-up shot for some time now.

CALL TO ARMS: Bridgewater resident Michael Tonks rolls up his sleeve for his second Covid jab. Picture: Kenji Sato

“It was great, mate,” Mr Tonks said.

“I had to go renew my licence, and then I saw the clinic was open again so I walked in. It was a good opportunity to get my second.”

The snap lockdown seemingly galvanised the rest of the state to increase their vaccine uptake, albeit not as drastically as Brighton.

The Glenorchy local government area increased its first-dose rates by 5.7 percentage points, while Sorell increased its uptake by 4.2 per cent.

Hobart’s lga increased modestly by 3.4 per cent, but it still remains the most highly vaxxed region at a 93.4 per cent first-dose rate.

The north of the state saw more modest gains, with Launceston increasing its uptake by 2.3 percentage points and Burnie by 1.7 percentage points.

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