ABC News: Kimberley Bernard

COVID-19 vaccination mandate and restrictions to be relaxed

Queensland will remove some of its last remaining COVID-19 restrictions from next week.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard will also revoke the high-risk worker COVID-19 vaccine mandate in schools, early childhood education, outside school care, kindergartens, family day care, police watch houses, youth detention centres and airports. (refer Queensland Government website: Education worker COVID-19 vaccination requirements)

Decisions around mandatory vaccinations in those setting will instead be made by employers.

“Mandatory vaccines are still required for workers in healthcare, hospitals, aged care and disability care,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

The Premier said the public direction requiring post-arrival testing for those travelling to Queensland from international locations had been removed.

She did not mention any changes to mask mandates in settings such as public transport and aged care.

“Queensland has remained strong,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Restrictions that protected us have eased in sensible stages.

“I once again pay tribute to the resilience of Queenslanders for the strength of response to this pandemic.”

There were six COVID-19 deaths in the latest reporting period, taking the number of people who have died as a result of the virus in Queensland to 1,192.

The state recorded 4,520 new COVID cases, with 522 people in hospital with the virus. There are seven people in ICU.

Ms Palaszczuk urged Queenslanders to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and to get a free flu vaccine before June 30.

More than 92 per cent of the Queensland population aged 16 and older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 71.11 per cent of those aged 12 to 15.

Among Queensland five to 11-year-olds, 31.16 per cent have received two COVID-19 shots.

More than 1.7 million Queenslanders have been vaccinated against the flu this season, about a third of the population.

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Key points:

  • The public direction requiring post-arrival testing for those travelling to Queensland from overseas has been removed
  • No changes to mask mandates in settings such as public transport and aged care have been mentioned
  • The state’s network of standalone COVID-19 fever clinics will be wound down

Source
Janelle Miles
ABC News

 

 

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