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  • NSW premier 'prefers' frontliners get jab

    Author: AAP

Premier Gladys Berejiklian's "strong preference" is only people vaccinated against COVID-19 work in Sydney's hotel quarantine system, but hasn't decided whether to enforce it with a public health order. 
"I have overwhelming confidence that sufficient numbers of people who work in our quarantine system or have the potential to work in the quarantine system will be vaccinated," she said on Friday.
NSW has again recorded zero new local COVID-19 cases, the 33rd consecutive day without local transmission.


There were two cases in travellers in hotel quarantine in the 24 hours until 8pm on Thursday.
Ms Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited the COVID-19 vaccination hub at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on Friday, where frontline workers will be able to get the Pfizer jab from Monday.
The premier believes vaccine take-up will be widespread among those working at quarantine hotels, people screening airport arrivals, health staff, cleaners, police officers and security guards.
And while those who decline a vaccine won't be punished, they may be overlooked for ongoing employment in the hotel quarantine system.
She said there may also be other private sector-imposed consequences for declining COVID-19 vaccination including an inability to catch an international flight or enter a hospitality venue.


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"These are the men and women who are on the frontline every day protecting the rest of us and I think it's only fair that people who are in that situation are offered the vaccines first," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
"My strong preference is that people who have the vaccine are the ones who work in the quarantine system - there are thousands of people from whom we can make sure that's the case.


"That allows us to move forward and reduce the risk for everybody."
But Ms Berejiklian said it was "early days" and she would "watch and see" before deciding on whether to mandate hotel quarantine worker vaccination in a public health order.
Earlier this week, she argued the definition of "success" in tackling the virus must change as the vaccine rollout progresses, shifting from low case numbers to low hospitalisation rates.
She reiterated on Friday that opening the state's economy and resuming international travel would become priorities as a critical mass of the Australian population get the jab.


"We know COVID is going to be around for some time, for years," Ms Berejiklian said.
"The success will be treating it as much like the flu. The flu can kill, obviously not at the same rate and severity, but we have to get to a stage where we can live with COVID without having people worried about getting to hospital or dying.
"Until we get to that level of (vaccination) critical mass, we have to keep with all the restrictions, we need to get tested with the mildest of symptoms."
Mr Morrison said as vaccination numbers increased around Australia, the "tool" of lockdowns could also be "put back in the box".


"When the risk goes down, what does that mean for the other responses that states have been using up until this time? You only use a tool for as long as you need that tool," he told reporters.
"You should rightly expect that things will change in how we manage the virus. Why? Because the risk of someone getting seriously ill is addressed ... there are plenty of viruses that are dealt with here each and every day."

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