Suburb answers vax call to arms

BRIDGEWATER has answered the call to arms, with nearly 10 per cent of the population rolling up their sleeves to receive their first jab in the past week.

After emerging from the three-day snap lockdown, firstdose vaccination rates in the Brighton local government area spiked from 70.7 per cent to 80.5 per cent.

The Brighton area used to be the fifth worst in Tasmania in terms of vaccine take-up but has leapfrogged 10 places up the charts to be the 11th best.

The snap lockdown was what motivated Bridgewater resident Karen Henderson (right) into getting her first dose of Covid vaccine this week.

“It’s the right thing to do,’’ Ms Henderson said.

“I want to be safe and I want to be free. The situation’s absolutely aggravating and I hope he (the quarantine hotel escapee) goes to jail.”

Ms Henderson said she couldn’t stand wearing the mask all day long, as they fogged up her glasses and obscured her vision.

Bridgewater resident Michael Tonks came in for his second serving of Covid vaccine this week after seeing a pop-up clinic open in the civic centre.

Mr Tonks said he had received his first dose a while ago and had been meaning to get his followup shot for some time.

“It was great, mate,” Mr Tonks said.

“I had to go renew my licence and then I saw the clinic was open again so I walked in. It was a good opportunity to get my second.”

The snap lockdown seemingly galvanised the rest of the state to increase their vaccine uptake, albeit not as drastically as Brighton.

The Glenorchy local government area increased its first-dose rates by 5.7 percentage points, while Sorell increased its uptake by

4.2 per cent.

Hobart’s LGA increased modestly by 3.4 per cent but it still remains the most highly vaxxed region at a 93.4 per cent first-dose rate. The north of the state had more modest gains, with Launceston increasing its uptake by 2.3 percentage points and Burnie 1.7 percentage points.

THE SITUATION’S ABSOLUTELY AGGRAVATING AND I HOPE HE ... GOES TO JAIL KAREN HENDERION