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Qld mandates vaccines for school workers

Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queenslanders should be confident in the leader of the widescale inquiry.

Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queenslanders should be confident in the leader of the widescale inquiry. Photo: AAP

The Queensland government will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all workers in schools, childcare centres, prisons and airports across the state.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says workers in those “high-risk settings” will need to have had one dose of a vaccine by December 17.

She says the measures are aimed at protecting children and young people who are not yet eligible for vaccines from the virus as the state eases restrictions later this year.

“We are taking the strong action to protect the vulnerable Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk told parliament on Tuesday morning.

“It is actually that it’s consistent with other states and territories such as NSW and Victoria.

“If you can’t be vaccinated we want to make sure those around you are vaccinated, if you are in a high-risk group, we also want to make sure those around you are vaccinated.

“If you’re at high-risk of coming into contact with someone who has the virus and passing it on to others in our community, we want to make sure you are vaccinated.”

The state has already mandated vaccines for health workers and police officers and has announced plans to ban unvaccinated people from all venues in the state from December 17.

People who have not had the jab won’t be allowed to work in or enter restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, theatres, cinemas or sports stadiums from that date.

The latest figures show 86.27 per cent of Queenslanders have had one dose against COVID-19 and 76.08 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk also affirmed plans scrap quarantine for vaccinated domestic arrivals once it hits 80 per cent vaccination target.

“Our plans to allow for guaranteed free interstate travel for fully vaccinated people have not been affected,” she said.

“Queensland is in such a strong position because we still require 14-days hotel quarantine for international arrivals.

Our cautious and measured approach means anyone who has recently arrived from countries where it is circulating is already in hotel quarantine in Queensland.”

Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Tuesday and two new interstate-acquired cases in hotel quarantine.

– AAP

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