BORDERS VAX TEST

Tassie sweats on rest of nation catching up

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has flagged he would like to see more than 90 per cent of Tasmanians vaccinated against Covid-19, as the state continues its cautious approach to borders reopening fully before summer.

Tasmanians have a twomonth wait to know if vaccination rates are rising fast enough to reopen to interstate visitors.

Current projections are Tasmania would reach a target of 80 per cent double dose vaccination in early November, potentially weeks before the rest of the country.

“The rest of the country, in most instances, has to do some heavy lifting to get there by that date as well,” Mr Gutwein said.

State Health Commander Katherine Morgan-Wicks said on Tuesday she was hoping to exceed a 90 per cent vaccination rate, a goal Mr Gutwein said he shared.

TASMANIANS have a twomonth wait to know if vaccination rates are rising fast enough to reopen the state’s borders to interstate travel.

Premier Peter Gutwein said that based on current projections the state would reach the target of 80 per cent vaccination rates in early November.

“The national plan is predicated on 80 per cent average reached across the country,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We expect to be at around 80 per cent double dose vaccinated sometime in early November.

“The rest of the country – in most instances – has to do some heavy lifting to get there by that date as well.

“But look, by the end of November, we’ll have a clearer picture as to where the country’s at and, importantly, what circumstances we can allow people back into Tasmania.”

On ABC radio on Tuesday morning, State Health Commander Katherine MorganWicks said she was hoping to exceed a 90 per cent vaccination rate.

Mr Gutwein said he shared that aspiration.

“I’d like to see more than 90 per cent of Tasmanians vaccinated,” he said.

“We have a national plan and that has two gates in it: one’s at 70 per cent, one’s at 80 per cent. Now I’ve made it perfectly clear in terms of opening up Tasmania, we will open it up when it’s safe to do so.”

Mr Gutwein on Tuesday formally unveiled the joint state and federal $50m boost in pandemic relief grants for business.

Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Michael Bailey was among business leaders who welcomed the intervention — but said greater certainty was needed about borders reopening.

“This package can’t come soon enough given how much the business community is suffering at the moment,” he said.

“The lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales have created chaos in Tasmania.

“It’s not just tourism businesses hurting either. Any business with a retail exposure, from service stations to Salamanca Market stalls, have suffered.”

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief Luke Martin gave the Premier rave reviews.

“The one thing our industry’s got is complete confidence in the bloke over my left shoulder,” he said.

“We’ve got a national cabinet agreement that says very clearly what the expectations are, we understand that the responsibility is to keep Tasmanians safe.

“There’s a lot of commentary around this stuff and I think everyone’s suddenly become an expert.

“From our industry’s perspective, we listen to the person at the end of the day who has been pretty consistent (with) us and honest with us for 18 months now and we’re sure when the Premier’s confident to open he’ll make that clear and we’ll respond accordingly.”

Labor’s Janie Finlay said there was scant detail about how the grants program would work.

“Of course, the devil is always in the detail and there is no detail,” she said.

“There is no information on publicly available websites, on Business Tasmania, on the Premier’s site, on the news site.

“Businesses are bleeding … they wake up, they hear there’s support, but they can’t find out any information about it.”