National Cabinet could today change the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ in Australia to apply only to people who’ve had three doses of a Covid vaccine, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has warned.
Mr Andrews said on Thursday that he hoped state premiers and chief ministers will agree to the updated definition at a meeting this afternoon.
‘The third dose has never been more important, particularly as we head towards the first day of school,’ Mr Andrews told reporters.
‘This is not a two-dose thing (or) two doses and a bonus – it is absolutely critical and essential. Hopefully we get that confirmation today.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) says Australians will only be considered fully vaccinated if they’ve had three doses if he gets his way at National Cabinet on Thursday
‘The third dose has never been more important,’ Mr Andrews told reporters. ‘Particularly as we head towards the first day of school’ (pictured, health workers in Melbourne)
‘International evidence, our own experience, the views of experts and hopefully confirmation of both ATAGI and national cabinet today will mean everyone knows and understands this is a three-dose project.’
The premier said those rolling up their sleeve for a third jab wanted ‘it to mean something’. However, he added that changes wouldn’t come into effect immediately.
It comes as Victorians who have not received their booster shot could soon be banned from dining in cafes and restaurants.
The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions met with hospitality and retail groups on Friday to discuss bringing in several changes to protect staff and customers.
Booster shots could soon be required, meaning unvaccinated, single-jabbed and double-jabbed residents would no longer be allowed to visit a pub, restaurant or cafe.
Mr Andrews earlier this month announced thousands of workers would be mandated to get a booster shot or risk losing their jobs.
He urged people who work in healthcare, aged care, disability, emergency services, hospitality, correctional facilities, quarantine accommodation to get their third jab.
Mr Andrews earlier this month announced thousands of workers would be mandated to get a booster shot or risk losing their jobs (pictured, people order in a Melbourne bar)
Employees will be required to show their boss a vaccine certificate to prove they had the mandatory booster, with workers eligible for a third dose before January 12 to have until February 12 to get the shot.
People who are not yet eligible for their booster will be forced to get it within three months and two weeks after their second jab.
This means residential aged care workers must receive their third dose by 1 March, and health care workers by 29 March.
Disability, quarantine accommodation, correctional facilities, emergency services, and food distribution workers will need to receive their third dose by 12 March.
Manufacturing, warehouse and transport staff who work in food distribution will be required to get the booster, but retail supermarket staff will not.
People who work in food manufacturing, packing and distribution will also be exempt from close contact isolation rules in an attempt to avoid supply shortages.
If an employee is a close contact, they will be able to return to onsite work if they are asymptomatic, take a rapid test for five days and return negative results.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the mandate was a ‘sensible step’ to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
The state leader said he hoped national cabinet would agree to update the definition of fully vaccinated to having received a third Covid jab (pictured, a Melbourne woman is vaccinated)
National cabinet will also discuss the state of the health system, following one of the deadliest days of the pandemic with 87 fatalities on Wednesday (pictured, a Melbourne health worker)
‘This is a sensible extension of our existing vaccination requirements – ensuring our critical workers and the vulnerable community members they look after are protected,’ he said.
Victorians in key sectors were forced to get the two initial Covid jabs last year.
National cabinet will also discuss the state of the health system, following one of the deadliest days of the pandemic with 87 fatalities on Wednesday.
Australia’s retail sector is urging national cabinet for isolation exemptions to be extended to staff in the industry, as the prime minister meets with state and territory leaders.
Isolation rules for workers in a number of essential sectors were expanded earlier this month, and now there is a growing push for retail staff to be added to the list.
The exemptions would allow workers to go back to their jobs after being at a Covid exposure site, provided they test negative to the virus on a rapid antigen test.
Chief executive of the Australian Retail Association Paul Zahra said it was time to live with Covid.
‘If you can expand isolation exemptions for certain groups, it makes sense to expand it further to other categories of retail,’ he told ABC Radio.
The Victorian Premier has teased a major change to the definition of fully vaccinated ahead of Thursday’s national cabinet meeting (pictured, Melburnians line up to get vaccinated)
Victorians in key sectors were forced to get the two initial Covid jabs last year (pictured, queues for testing at Melbourne Town Hall in December)
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has stepped up its push for international tourists to return to the country.
The chamber’s chief executive Andrew McKellar said such a move would be a way to boost the post-pandemic economy.
‘We are urging government to get ahead of the curve, start talking to the industry about how quickly it can happen,’ he told ABC TV.
‘We do think in the weeks ahead, as the pressure comes off the health system, then the rationale for keeping these international border restrictions in place can be revisited.’
Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally said more planning was needed to allow the international travel sector to recover following years of uncertainty.
‘We need to look at sensible solutions and it would be helpful if we actually had a national government that was leading,’ she said.
Victoria recorded 13,755 new cases on Thursday with 15 fatalities from the virus (pictured, a man at a pop-up vaccination clinic at the State Library Victoria)
Residential aged care workers must receive their third dose by 1 March, and health care workers by 29 March (pictured, a health care worker at a Melbourne vaccination clinic)
It comes as Victoria recorded 13,755 new cases on Thursday with 15 fatalities from the virus while in NASW there were 29 virus-related deaths and 117,316 cases, with nearly 10,000 of those coming from PCR tests.
NSW on Wednesday became the first state or territory to surpass one million cases.
Queensland recorded another 15 Covid-19 related deaths and 11,600 new cases.
Infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy said while large numbers of people have been infected with Covid, rates were starting to go down.
‘One of the big reasons new cases are going down, and not just plateauing, is because the virus is running out of people to find and infect,’ he told Seven News.
‘We are going to be seeing higher rates of hospitalisations and lots of stress to the system and intensive care occupied well into February before that starts going down.’
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