A range of Public Service workers have been told they are to be vaccinated without objection as part of the Government’s anti-COVID-19 strategy announced by the Premier, Daniel Andrews.
Mr Andrews said the vaccination mandate requires all workers on the Authorised Worker list to have their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by next Friday (15 October), including regulatory services workers; emergency service workers; law enforcement; select Parliamentary staff; Office of the Public Advocate guardians; select law and court services workers; public transport workers; and select Department of Justice and Community Safety workers.
“Over the course of the pandemic, when we have needed to limit movement and slow the spread of the virus, restrictions have been our primary weapon,” Mr Andrews said.
“Now, with supply of the vaccine finally becoming widely available, we are able to protect all workers who aren’t able to do their essential work from home and protect the roadmap to reopening,” he said.
“Our nurses, doctors, ambos and all of our health workers are working their guts out to be there for us and they need us all to do our bit.”
Mr Andrews said it was crucial to protect the Victorian health system from being overwhelmed.
The Premier said the 15 October deadline would not apply to workers who already had existing requirements under Chief Health Officer directions with groups such as healthcare, aged care, education and construction still required to comply with previous advice.
He said Authorised Workers would need to be fully vaccinated by 26 November.
“As authorised Workers are currently moving around Victoria the most, it’s vital they get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and all of Victoria,” Mr Andrews said.
Victoria’s COVID-19 information website states “mandatory vaccination is not intended to apply to those working from home”.
The full list of Authorised Workers can be accessed at this PS News link.
