The ACT government will drop COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health workers and teachers from late next week.

“The Chief Health Officer has advised the government that she intends to revoke the public health directions for workers in health care and education settings in the ACT from 11.59pm on 13 May,” Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said.

The changes have been made following recently updated advice on vaccine mandates in high-risk settings from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.

Ms Stephen Smith said that given the ACT’s incredibly high levels of vaccination, the Chief Health Officer has advised it is appropriate to remove these mandates.

“The requirement for workers in the healthcare and education sectors to be vaccinated against COVID‑19 has been an important part of the ACT’s COVID-19 outbreak response,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

“However, the situation has evolved and our exceptionally high level of vaccination coverage across the eligible population has reduced the risk of outbreaks and adverse impacts on health outcomes.”

The following directions will be revoked with effect from 11:59pm on 13 May 2022:

• Public Health (ACT School or Early Childhood Education and Care Workers COVID-19 Vaccination) Emergency Direction 2022
• Public Health (Health Care and Support Workers COVID-19 Vaccination) Emergency Direction 2022

Employers in these settings will be able to implement their own COVID-19 vaccination policies.

“Consistent with national advice, vaccination requirements for workers in aged and disability care settings will remain in place as the risk of outbreaks and severe illness among the people they care for is still high. The Chief Health Officer will continue to monitor the situation for these workers to ensure our public health directions remain proportionate,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

COVID-19 vaccine mandates will remain in place for aged care and disability workers in the ACT. The mandate for disability workers was introduced to Canberra late last year.

Meanwhile, the ACT recorded 1,027 new COVID cases and one virus-related death today.

The death is of a man in his 90s and takes the ACT COVID death toll to 53 from 106,705 infections since the start of the pandemic.

There are 64 people in hospital with the virus with four in the ICU and none requiring ventilation.