Aged care staff vaxxed to max
MORE than 99 per cent of workers in aged care facilities in Tasmania have now received a first dose of the Covid vaccine.
The government had set a deadline of Saturday for all staff to have at least one vaccination.
Glenview runs two facilities in Glenorchy and acting chief executive officer Kirsten
Robertson said all 252 employees and an additional 36 volunteers received at least their first vaccine before September 17.
“All our staff onsite have been vaccinated, and we are really proud of the entire workforce for achieving the 100 per cent vaccination target,” she said.
“The majority of staff took the initiative and secured appointments at the many clinics around Southern Tasmania, however we are grateful to Primary Health Tasmania who assisted us in getting an in-reach clinic for staff at both sites organised in August.”
Federal government health website data showed it was a tight race in some areas to make the deadline.
Two aged care facilities in the Deloraine in the state’s North only had 80 to 89 per
cent of their staff vaccinated as of September 15.
Labor Senator Helen Polley said communication from the federal government to the aged care sector and aged care workers had been poor.
“Aged care workers were franticly trying to get vaccinated in the last week,” she said.
“There was no real plan from the government before the deadline was reached.”
A federal government Department of Health spokesman said the Tasmanian vaccination rate for aged care workers was 99.1 per cent.
“In Tasmania, residential aged care workers who have not received a Covid vaccine may continue working after September 17 if they have a booking to receive the first dose of a vaccine as soon as possible and provide evidence of that booking to their relevant supervisor.”
They said the Department of Health was contacting facilities which have a low vaccination rate and the calls had highlighted that for most it was because the facilities had been slow to upload their latest information.
The state government has made it mandatory for all health care workers to have at least one vaccine dose by October 31.