The Borneo Post

Australia PM ‘sorry’ for slow vaccine rollout

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I take responsibi­lity for the vaccinatio­n programme. I also take responsibi­lity for the challenges we’ve had. Obviously, some things are within our control, some things that are not.

Sco Morrison

SYDNEY: Australia’s prime minister yesterday apologised for the country’s glacial vaccine rollout, as Sydney recorded a record jump in new coronaviru­s infections.

Sco Morrison is under fierce public pressure to improve a vaccinatio­n rate currently languishin­g around 11 per cent, among the lowest rate of any rich nation.

A er months of boasting about his ‘gold standard’ pandemic response and insisting vaccine rollout was ‘not a race’, Morrison bowed to critics.

“I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year. Of course I am,” he said.

“I take responsibi­lity for the vaccinatio­n programme. I also take responsibi­lity for the challenges we’ve had. Obviously, some things are within our control, some things that are not.”

His comments came as authoritie­s in locked-down Sydney warned residents to brace for a spike in infections and long-term restrictio­ns.

The state of New South Wales reported 124 new cases, a record for a current outbreak that is spreading quickly across the vast country.

“I’m expecting case numbers to go up even higher,” state premier Gladys Berejiklia­n warned, citing the large proportion of people who were not isolating while infectious.

“I can’t underscore what a serious situation we’re in at the moment,” she said, girding the city’s five million residents for further bad news to come.

Sydney has been in lockdown for almost a month, but there seems li le prospect of stay-athome orders being li ed at the end of this month as planned.

The restrictio­ns — which have shu ered most shops, businesses and classrooms — may have prevented a tidal wave of cases, but have so far failed to stop the outbreak.

“Until we have enough of our population fully vaccinated, we will be living with some level of restrictio­ns and that will depend on how quickly we can overcome the severity of the current outbreak,” said Berejiklia­n.

Some 18 months into the pandemic, adherence to the latest lockdown rules has been patchy and there is widespread anger at the government’s response.

Australia bet heavily on the AstraZenec­a vaccine, which is now only recommende­d for Australian­s over 60s because of blood clo ing fears.

Health officials complain Australia is “awash” with AstraZenec­a vaccine, while not expecting to get large supplies of the Pfizer vaccine much before the end of the year.

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 ?? — AFP photo ?? A boy throws out a fishing line in front of the Anzac Bridge in Sydney as restrictio­ns, which have shu ered most shops, businesses and classrooms, may have prevented a tidal wave of cases, but have so far failed to stop the outbreak.
— AFP photo A boy throws out a fishing line in front of the Anzac Bridge in Sydney as restrictio­ns, which have shu ered most shops, businesses and classrooms, may have prevented a tidal wave of cases, but have so far failed to stop the outbreak.

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