Vax passport off to rocky local start
AN Ocean Grove cafe had to turn away five patrons before 8am as the vaccine passport came into effect on Friday.
Driftwood Cafe owner Ty Simmons welcomed the increase in capacity limits to 30 customers but said the new rules had created some “awkwardness.”
On Thursday, Victoria reached its 70 per cent vaccination target, which meant the beginning of special rules for residents who have received both jabs. “This morning (Friday) we have had to turn away five people before 8am,” Mr Simmons said.
“We had people coming in that weren’t even aware that they were meant to be double vaccinated.”
Mr Simmons said the early easing of restrictions had caught some guests and staff members, who are still awaiting their second jab, by surprise.
“It is a hard pill to swallow. The name of the game is ‘hospo’ and we are usually here to welcome people but we have to be unwelcoming now,” he said.
On arrival guests must show their vaccine passport through the Services Australia App to prove its authenticity, or present a printed version of their certificate.
Looking ahead, Mr Simmons said it was the long weekend that could potentially set up Ocean Grove traders for a big summer season as Victoria is expected to hit 80 per cent next Friday.
“We need the government to announce that we can return to 4sq m capacity limits and that Melburnians are allowed to come down because that will have a massive impact on tourism,” he said.
“This long weekend is traditionally the start of summer madness in Ocean Grove.”
Meanwhile, the jab rules for health workers have sparked a legal fight with a group of unvaccinated nurses rushing to the Federal Court to try to avoid being sacked.
Eighteen nurses are seeking an urgent injunction to stop Monash Health — which runs 10 hospitals and health centres across Melbourne — from taking disciplinary action against those who haven’t had the jab.
The Nurses Professional Association of Queensland lodged an injunction application in the Federal Court against Monash Health, representing staff who either “have not been vaccinated or have not proved they have been vaccinated”.
The matter was adjourned for a hearing on November 1.