The Liberal Government’s last-minute decision to implement a COVID vaccination mandate for childcare workers has failed the sector and placed workers and children at unnecessary risk.
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years Josh Willie said while today’s vaccine mandate decision is welcome, it should be have been introduced much sooner.
“With children under five unable to be vaccinated, it defies belief that it has taken until today – the day before the borders reopen – to mandate vaccines for childcare workers,” Mr Willie said.
“Despite repeated calls, this government has left it until the very last minute to implement the vaccine mandate, only making it mandatory from January the eighth.
That means there could still be unvaccinated workers in Tasmania’s childcare centres for more than three weeks, putting young children and babies at risk.
“It is extraordinary that with so much time to prepare, this government has not taken the basic steps needed to keep all Tasmanians safe.
“All other states took the appropriate precautions and mandated vaccinations for childcare workers so it has been quite clear for some time that Tasmania was out of step with the rest of Australia.
“With today’s announcement, the government has effectively admitted that childcare centres are a risk but their own inaction has left them and the children they care for exposed for weeks, at a time when the effects of the Omicron strain are still not known.
“The safety of our children is far too important for the government to have left this decision so unacceptably late.”
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years
