Covid-free South Australia confirms it will support the national Covid plan by scrapping lockdowns and opening state borders – so why won’t Mark McGowan in WA follow suit?
- South Australia Premier Steven Marshall has supported a national recovery plan
- Plan sees restrictions start to east at 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination
- About 40 per cent of South Australians over 16 have received both jabs
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has thrown his full support behind the national Covid-19 recovery plan, indicating state lockdowns and lockouts will become a thing of the past before Christmas.
The plan that sees restrictions start to ease at vaccination rates of 70 and 80 per cent has caused some consternation among some states, but not SA.
‘Once we get to double dose 80 per cent vaccination across South Australia we will certainly move away from state lockdowns,’ Mr Marshall told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
South Australia Premier Steven Marshall (pictured) has thrown his full support behind a national Covid-19 recovery plan
‘I think we will get to the double dose vaccination well before Christmas here in South Australia.’
Mr Marshall’s stance is in stark contrast to his neighbour, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, who refuses to follow the national plan he agreed to.
Mr McGowan said he wanted his state to be closer to 90 per cent vaccinated before he would even set a date for reopening the border to NSW and Victoria – likely not until Easter.
Double dose vaccinations for people aged over 16 in SA are currently running at a fraction above 40 per cent.
He said he was not seeing much hesitancy to get vaccinated compared to a couple of months ago.
‘There is a lot of time to go until we get to that position, but we do know that as we increase our vaccination rate we reduce that transmission rate, we reduce hospitalisation,’ he said.
‘It is going to be a tough period over the next three or four months.’
He also expects to move away from state lockouts, and more towards LGA and exposure site exclusions rather than whole of state.
The state’s double dose vaccination rate of people aged 16 and above is currently just above 40 per cent (pictured, Rundle Mall in Adelaide)
The premier expects businesses may insist on people being vaccinated, but that is not something that will be endorsed by governments, unless it is agreed at the national cabinet level.
Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan welcomed Mr Marshall’s backing of the national plan.
‘That’s wonderful news, in particular for our domestic tourism industry,’ he told Sky News.
He said 660,000 jobs rely on people being above to move, particularly between state and territories.