Queensland Covid vaccine mandate: Annastacia Palaszczuk introduces rules for schools, prisons

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced a sweeping Covid vaccine mandate for thousands of workers. 

The state will make jabs compulsory for all staff and workers at state and private schools, childcare workers, prisons and airports. 

‘Workers in the designated high-risk settings will be required to have at least one vaccination dose by December 17 and be fully vaccinated by January 23,’ Ms Palaszczuk posted on her Facebook page as she made the announcement in parliament.

‘While children cannot access the vaccination, it is important those around them take every step they can to prevent the virus spreading in schools and early childhood centres.

‘Airports are the gateway to the virus entering Queensland and there are vulnerable people in our corrections systems.’  

Ms Palaszczuk told the Queensland parliament on Tuesday morning that the state had reached 86.27 per cent of its eligible population with a first dose of a Covid vaccine and 76.08 per cent were now fully vaccinated.

The premier said the plan to re-open Queensland’s borders to visitors by road and air on Dec 17 was not yet affected by news that the Omicron Covid variant had been detected in international arrivals to Sydney.

She planned to receive more information at a specially convened national cabinet this afternoon. 

Queensland recorded no new cases of community transmission of Covid on Tuesday, but two cases were detected in hotel quarantine, both from Melbourne.