Sunrise presenters Natalie Barr and David ‘Kochie’ Koch are reportedly refusing to work with unvaccinated hair and makeup artists after a Covid scare last month put everyone on set – including pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew – at risk.
Senior figures at Seven’s breakfast show, including Barr, Koch, Bartholomew and executive producer Michael Pell, are said to be pushing for mandatory vaccines for crew members in a move that could set a precedent for the Australian TV industry.
There is particular concern about unvaccinated freelancers working for different shows across Sydney bringing the virus to ‘Brekky Central’, reports The Australian.
Taking a stand: Sunrise presenters Natalie Barr (left) and David ‘Kochie’ Koch (right) are reportedly refusing to work with unvaccinated hair and makeup artists after a Covid scare last month put everyone on set – including pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew – at risk
These fears are compounded by the fact Bartholomew, 38, is expecting a child and Koch, at 65 years old, is in a vulnerable age group for Covid-19.
Barr, 53, has also apparently raised concerns because she has teenage sons, while Pell escalated the matter with Seven management on behalf of concerned staffers.
The media is considered ‘essential work’ during Covid and social distancing can be particularly challenging for those working live TV – all of which means vaccine mandates will likely soon become industry standard.
However, Seven’s move towards mandatory vaccines has apparently ‘attracted private grumbles from at least one Sunrise [staffer]’ who is unvaccinated and therefore won’t be able to work on the show, claims The Australian.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven for comment.
Bold move: Senior figures at Seven’s breakfast show, including Barr, Koch, Bartholomew and executive producer Michael Pell, are said to be pushing for mandatory vaccines for crew members in a move that could set a precedent for the Australian TV industry. Barr is pictured with a Sunrise crew member
Risk: There is particular concern about unvaccinated freelancers working for different shows across Sydney bringing the virus to ‘Brekky Central’, reports The Australian. Executive producer Michael Pell (left, with former Sunrise co-host Sam Armytage) escalated the matter with Seven management on behalf of concerned staffers
Sunrise had a Covid scare on the morning of Friday, August 27, after a crew member tested positive for the virus overnight, after working at the Seven’s Martin Place studios for three consecutive days.
Bartholomew went into self-isolation as a close contact of the confirmed case but thankfully returned a negative test result.
‘Hello and welcome to Friday everyone. And we join you after a Covid-19 scare of our own overnight, a staffer tested positive,’ Barr said at the start of the program.
Scare: Sunrise had a Covid scare on the morning of Friday, August 27, after a crew member tested positive for the virus overnight, after working at the Seven’s Martin Place studios for three consecutive days. The studio was deep-cleaned by cleaners in protective clothing
‘The studio has been deep cleaned. We’ve all been tested. Everyone here is OK,’ she added, as footage aired of the studio being cleaned by a person in a hazmat suit.
‘Eddy is a close contact so she’s isolating but is all right. And Kochie was already having the day off so Michael Usher is here. We’ll have more details on that later.’
The Covid-positive employee was fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and a ‘close contact’ of another case unrelated to Seven, the network confirmed at the time.
Earlier that month, Barr and Koch, 65, had their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on air. Bartholomew is also vaccinated, and has encouraged other pregnant women to get the jab.
Scare: Edwina Bartholomew, who is pregnant with her second child, went into self-isolation as a close contact of the confirmed case but thankfully returned a negative test result
Seven had already raised the possibility of a vaccine mandate in a staff email sent out a week before the Covid scare on set of Sunrise.
The network canvassed its employees’ views in an internal survey, which read: ‘As the Covid Delta strain gathers momentum, talk is turning to whether or not vaccination should be mandatory for staff.
‘Before Seven makes a decision, we want to understand your views.
‘To obtain your input, we have designed a brief survey which you can access here. It is confidential and should take no longer than 30 seconds to respond.’
Staff on several Seven programs are already receiving three Covid tests a week and complying with Covid-safe measures.
At the time some employees were said to be concerned about their future at the company if a ‘no jab, no job’ policy were to be implemented, reported TV Blackbox.
However, a spokesperson said no decision had been made on mandatory vaccines.
‘We are not proposing mandatory vaccines. We’re gathering the views of our staff, which is the fair and responsible thing to do,’ the representative said on August 20.
‘The survey closes COB today, so it’s premature to speculate what might happen. We will absolutely be guided by what our people want.
‘We will share the results of the survey with staff and whatever happens from there will be in consultation with our staff.
‘The health and safety of our staff is our number-one priority at all times.’
Mandatory vaccines have been a topic of debate at workplaces, with the government leaving the decision in the hands of employers.
Airline Qantas and food-processing company SPC have announced they will be making vaccination compulsory for their staff.