Australian State to Drop COVID Vaccine Mandates

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https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/australian-state-to-drop-covid-vaccine-mandates-for-health-workers-5484629?src_src=Goodevening&src_cmp=gv-2023-09-04&est=%2BPahwpM8pu54ylEW63mKNOi%2FYyDW%2BOEVba3PRV%2FaxUaQFTetaAnks0VaGcg%2FjEiZ

Queensland's government is set to remove a significant COVID-19 vaccination mandate that has led to the resignation or dismissal of thousands of staff over the last two years.

The final decision will come after a two-week consultation with various stakeholders including staff, unions, and patient safety advocacy groups, Queensland’s Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said. The decision could allow unvaccinated public health staff to head back to work in a fortnight.

“We took strong action during COVID to keep our community safe and the death rate from COVID in Queensland is significantly below the national average,” Ms. Fentiman wrote in a post on X.
“But circumstances have changed and COVID is no longer a public health emergency and for most of us life has returned to normal.”

She said that over a thousand workers were stood down from the mandate during the pandemic.

“There were about 575 nurses, but there have also been about 1,000 resignations, some of whom were not compliant with the vaccination mandate,” Ms. Fentiman said.

“This is an interim decision and the director general will now consult with health workers over the next two weeks before making a final decision. But clearly, the health advice from our chief health officer is it's really no longer required.”