As NSW heads towards 90 per cent double-dose vaccine coverage, the state’s existing roadmap out of lockdown could be changed once more.
Premier Dominic Perrottet is reportedly in talks to adjust the date that unvaccinated adults will be allowed to go out again, which would mark yet another change to the state’s path to living with COVID.
2GB radio host Ray Hadley claims that the existing December 1 date could be scrapped in favour of unvaccinated adults being given the same freedoms as everyone else once 95 per cent of people are vaccinated.
“I think you’ll find next week, there’ll be a decision made that they won’t let unvaccinated people into the community until we all get to 95 per cent across NSW,” Mr Hadley said on Friday morning.
An unnamed senior cabinet member also confirmed the nature of the discussions to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Mr Perrottet’s office told The New Daily on Friday that no decision had been made, but didn’t confirm whether any key dates were being reevaluated.
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Over 86 per cent of people over 16 in NSW are fully vaccinated, and the COVID Live website estimates that NSW will hit the 90 per cent double-dose milestone by November 6.
However, it’s unclear when the state is estimated to hit the 95 per cent milestone reportedly being mulled by the government.
That 95 per cent milestone hasn’t even been achieved with first doses – around 93 per cent of adults in NSW have received at least one jab.
Given the waiting periods between first and second jabs, this could prove to be an indicator for future milestones.
Carrots and sticks
Research from the Melbourne Institute in September found that a “clear majority” of Australians support harsher restrictions on unvaccinated people, which is also in accordance with health advice.
Mr Hadley claimed that a 95 per cent target woulds encourage more people to get vaccinated, regardless of whether that coverage is achieved in November or December.
“With that announcement, you watch the figure get to 95 per cent before Christmas, as people who are either hesitant or just plain stupid start to realise that if they want the freedoms we all enjoy, they’ll get jabbed before Christmas,” Mr Hadley said.
However, Doherty Institute director Professor Sharon Lewin told The Age on Tuesday that excluding unvaccinated people from society for extended periods could create division in the community.
“I think having incentives to vaccinate people is very good, and I fully support having compulsory vaccination in certain areas, but I think we’ve got to be careful about keeping unvaccinated people out for an unspecified period of time,” Professor Lewin said.
Berejiklian’s legacy
Mr Hadley also claimed that the existing December 1 fixed date was chosen by former premier Gladys Berejiklian as a compromise, because Mr Perrottet reportedly wanted to extend freedoms to unvaccinated people sooner.
“Gladys Berejiklian told me personally that the reason she went at 90 per cent on December 1 and letting the unvaccinated loose, was because Dominic Perrottet was pushing to make it 80 per cent,” the radio host said.
“In conversations I’ve had with various people at the meeting, that’s not true. Dominic Perrottet was not agitating for 80 per cent, let alone 90 per cent.”
However, Mr Perrottet has in the past pushed for eased restrictions.
Days after becoming Premier, Mr Perrottet effectively re-wrote Ms Berejiklian’s roadmap by expanding several key freedoms for vaccinated adults and bringing forward the return to face-to-face learning in schools.
Previously, as treasurer, Mr Perrottet was reportedly hesitant to enter lockdown back in July, just before NSW experienced its worst wave of the pandemic.
Mr Perrottet’s office did not respond to requests for clarification.
