Queensland has joined Victoria in removing Covid vaccine mandates for public school teachers for term three, with New South Wales on track to do the same.
On Friday, Queensland’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, revealed that from next Thursday, residents of the state would no longer require Covid vaccinations to work in schools, childcare, prisons and airports or to visit jails, aged care and disability facilities.
“Restrictions that have protected us have eased in sensible stages, and today I announce, with the advice of the chief health officer, we are removing some of the last remaining Covid restrictions,” she told parliament.
However, Palaszczuk said individual employers would still be allowed to continue mandates in schools, daycare, prisons and airports.
Maryborough Education Centre princial David Sutton (front) and assistant principal Ben Brady
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She said mandates would remain in force for workers in healthcare, hospital, aged care and disability care facilities.
Queensland will also dump pre-arrival testing for travellers arriving in the state from overseas.
On Friday, the NSW Department of Education put forward a proposal to remove vaccination requirements for most staff from term three.
Under the proposed policy, schools would be able to re-engage unvaccinated casuals, and unvaccinated staff who resigned or were dismissed can apply for advertised positions.
Staff who work in schools for specific purposes or support units and classes will still require evidence of a third booster dose to attend work.
Education department secretary, Georgina Harrisson, said the new policy followed a comprehensive independent workplace risk assessment.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have continued to review and update risk assessments to ensure they remain fit for purpose, and we will continue to do so as health and community settings change,” Harrisson said.
She also revealed the strain that illness has been placing on the sector, with 430,351 teacher sick days in NSW public schools so far this year compared to 100,324 in the same period last year, and 145,491 in 2019, pre-pandemic.
The department will begin stakeholder consultation on the proposal, with it expected to be finalised in a fortnight.
In Victoria, the vaccine mandate on teaching staff expired on Friday, with previously sacked teachers able to reapply for new roles but not their old positions.
Government-imposed mandates in food distribution, meat and seafood processing and quarantine accommodation sectors were also scrapped.
Earlier this week, Brendan Crabb and Mike Toole from the Burnet Institute warned Australia must do more to counter the rapid spread of the virus caused by the frequent mutation of the Omicron strain. They called for a stronger focus on encouraging third and fourth vaccine doses and the reintroduction of masks in high-risk indoor settings.
