Fired-up Anthony Albanese slams Scott Morrison over bungled vaccine rollout

A fired-up Anthony Albanese tore into Scott Morrison over the slow coronavirus vaccine rollout and repeated hotel quarantine leaks as five million Sydneysiders stared down the barrel of another hard lockdown.

The Labor leader said there have been at least 25 outbreaks of Covid-19 from the hotel quarantine system since the start of the pandemic and called on the Prime Minister to set up a ‘safe national system’.

He also slammed Mr Morrison over the vaccine rollout which is lagging well behind other developed nations with only three per cent of adults fully vaccinated.

People are seen queuing to enter a mass COVID-19 vaccination hub in Sydney in May

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Mr Albanese – who has struggled to compete with Mr Morrison – said these two failures meant the federal government is to blame for the latest outbreak in Sydney which has caused 31 infections and prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to mandate mask wearing indoors.

‘How many outbreaks will it takes before the government fixes the bungled vaccine rollout and creates a safe, national quarantine system,’ the Opposition leader said.

The Sydney cluster, which involves the Indian Delta variant of the disease, has prompted other states and New Zealand to slam their borders shut to New South Wales residents, throwing school holidays into chaos.

Mr Albanese has heavily criticised the government for only signing vaccine deals with two suppliers while France, Germany and Italy have four vaccines, and the US, UK and Canada have three.

Those nations are all relaxing restrictions because of their successful vaccine roll-outs while Australians are trapped in the country and some are now facing another lockdown.

In Question Time on Wednesday, Mr Albanese moved a motion slamming the government.

Taroi Black, Miria Black and Rosina Pukeroa with children Whitirangi and baby Waiparera are seen at Sydney International Airport after being turned away from their flight to New Zealand on Wednesday

Taroi Black, Miria Black and Rosina Pukeroa with children Whitirangi and baby Waiparera are seen at Sydney International Airport after being turned away from their flight to New Zealand on Wednesday

Residents who live and work in seven hotspot suburbs are not allowed to leave metropolitan Sydney unless they have an essential reason

Residents who live and work in seven hotspot suburbs are not allowed to leave metropolitan Sydney unless they have an essential reason

He said: ‘The House notes A, There is a global pandemic. B, there have been at least 25 COVID outbreaks from hotel quarantine. C, fewer than three per cent of Australians are fully vaccinated. 

‘D, the Prime Minister had two jobs this year: To roll vaccine and establish a safe national system of quarantine and he has bungled both jobs. E, the outbreak in Sydney is worsening by the hour. 

‘F, new restrictions are being imposed on businesses and households. G, borders are slamming shut as Australia heads into school holidays. H, the Prime Minister says the vaccine rollout is not a race. 

‘And I, the New South Wales Premier said today, ”New South Wales has had a real sense of urgency in relation to the vaccine rollout. Until the vast majority of our population is vaccinated, these threats will be real and ongoing”.’ 

The Opposition leader then called on on the Prime Minister to ‘urgently fix his bungled vaccine rollout and establish a safe, national system of quarantine.’

As Labor members cheered him on, Mr Albanese made reference to the overthrowing of former Nationals Leader Michael McCormack by Barnaby Joyce on Monday.

‘Mr Speaker, we needed more jabbings and less stabbings,’ he said.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the vaccine rollout was progressing well, with half of Australians over 50 having had a first dose and 99 per cent of aged care residents fully vaccinated.

Mr Morrison defended the hotel quarantine system and said national facilities such as Howard Springs will continue to operate alongside hotels.

Health workers are pictured at the Bondi Beach Drive-through Covid-19 clinic in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Wednesday. Contact tracers are scrambling to trace four cases with no known source

Health workers are pictured at the Bondi Beach Drive-through Covid-19 clinic in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Wednesday. Contact tracers are scrambling to trace four cases with no known source

It come as New South Wales recorded 13 cases of Covid-19 community transmission overnight, forcing additional restrictions for the Sydney area. 

Ms Berejiklian said health officials had found 10 local cases from 44,000 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday night – seven of which had already been announced. 

Since that cut-off, she said another 13 cases were found in the community, with eight attending the same party at West Hoxton in Sydney’s far-west. 

Contact tracers are investigating four cases with no known source, although all are in close proximity to a cluster in the city’s east which has now reached 31 cases. 

For the next week from 4pm on Wednesday, household gatherings will be limited to five visitors and masks will be compulsory in all all indoor venues, including workplaces and gym classes.  

Drinking while standing indoors will also be banned and those who live and work in seven hotspot council areas will not be allowed to leave metropolitan Sydney unless they have an essential reason.

Those council areas are the City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick – home to about 782,000 residents.  

WHAT ARE THE NEW COVID RESTRICTIONS?  

From 4pm Wednesday for one week:

Visitors to households will be limited to 5 guests – including children;

Masks will be compulsory in all indoor non-residential settings, including workplaces, and at organised outdoor events;

Drinking while standing at indoor venues will not be allowed;

Singing by audiences at indoor shows or by congregants at indoor places of worship will not be allowed;

Dancing will not be allowed at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs however, dancing is allowed at weddings for the bridal party only (no more than 20 people);

Dance and gym classes limited to 20 per class (masks must be worn);

The one person per four square metre rule will be re-introduced for all indoor and outdoor settings, including weddings and funerals;

Outdoor seated events will be limited to 50% seated capacity;

Previous public transport capacity limits, represented by green dots, will be reintroduced

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