The single highest priority for the ACT was to vaccinate as many people, as quickly as possible, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said at yesterday’s annual State of the Territory Business Address.
That was the only way out of the pandemic; there was no alternative to minimalise the lockdowns and travel restrictions of the last 18 months.
“We must, and we are, treating the vaccination rollout as a race – and it’s a race that our community must win.”
Snap lockdowns and border closures would be part of life until everyone was vaccinated; 70% of Australians needed to be vaccinated before we move away from these policy responses, he said.
Mr Barr hoped every Canberran would have the opportunity to be vaccinated by the end of the year. Canberra’s vaccination rate was one of the highest in the country; the ACT could be at 80% before the rest of the country reached 70%.
More than half the adult population had had their first dose; a quarter were fully vaccinated; a third of the Generation Y cohort (22,000 people) had booked their first jab on the first day; and the ACT was the only jurisdiction where 90% of people over 70s had received their first vaccination. From spring and summer, more vaccinations would be available through GPs and pharmacists.
Mr Barr publicly asked Canberra’s business leaders to help in this effort: “Do what you can to encourage and support your employees to get vaccinated. Share the latest health advice with teams; give them paid time off to book and attend their appointment; give them a day off work if they needed to recover from any side effects.”
In the meantime, Mr Barr said, the government was prepared to impose lockdown if there was the risk of community transmission. “Lockdowns are incredibly tough, emotionally, socially, economically; they impact businesses, they hurt families. But the alternative hurts even more.”
The ACT had remained COVID-free for more than a year due to good luck, an absence of terrible luck, and good management. Mr Barr said he rode an emotional rollercoaster every day, dreading the phone call telling him ACT had active cases. So far, the phone had not rung.
“We all have a stake in this. Economic recovery is dependent on the successful vaccine rollout. Every Canberran who gets vaccinated is another small step towards normality,” Mr Barr said.
For more news:
