Weekly COVID news at a glance

1  Vaccine booking website rollout clashed

Following the launch of Australia’s new vaccine booking system on 17th March, local doctors say they were inundated with calls and faced technical problems when using it. The Federal Department of Health’s eligibility checker aims to allow people listed under Phase 1b of the vaccine rollout, to book an appointment with a GP to receive the jab.

Reported problems with error messages have since been fixed but GP clinics also encountered issues with the system in making appointment bookings.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced on ABC radio on 18th March morning that 100 Commonwealth clinics will administer COVID vaccines in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure on GPs. More than 1000 general practices will join the country’s vaccination program from next week to deliver the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine to six million at-risk Australians.

2  A national anti-racism strategy

Experts and community groups are urging Australia to adopt a plan to combat a recent surge in racism.

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan has established a plan for a new national anti-racism framework and is calling on the federal government to support and implement it.  

Mr Tan released a concept paper on Wednesday setting out the main elements of the proposed plan, noting in the paper he was “deeply troubled by the resurgence in racism being experienced in Australia and across the globe”. 

Tan says this framework must address the growing racist incidents against Asian Australians due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the hatred directed towards Muslims following the Christchurch attacks in 2019.

Tan’s representation is on behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission and joins calls from the Labour Party and community groups for a new strategy. Australia has not had a national anti-racism plan in place since 2018 and has had no federal funding for one since 2015.

3  Traffic could get worse

A reluctance to return to public transport has caused a surge in traffic congestion on Melbourne’s major roads, reaching higher levels than before the pandemic.

New data by mapping company HERE Technologies has revealed that motorists are now being delayed by an extra two minutes on Punt Road, a main road in Melbourne’s inner north.

The spike in road traffic comes as commuters avoid using public transport due to fears of contracting the virus, despite Victorian government efforts to boost passenger numbers by discounting off-peak trips, adding 450 weekly services and releasing an app that provides real-time data on crowding.

The state government predicted that it will take two to three years for public transport user numbers to exceed 2019 levels, as people continue working from home. Public transport user numbers are expected to return to about 70 per cent of normal levels in the first half of this year.

Separate modelling by the Andrews’ government has confirmed the trend that arterial roads are carrying higher traffic volumes.

4  When eligible for vaccination?

As Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, information on vaccination eligibility is now available online. Those who come under the Phase 1A rollout currently underway will likely be contacted by their employers.

If you are not part of the current group, your eligibility to receive a vaccination can be checked at covid-vaccine DOT health direct DOT gov DOT au FORWARD SLASH eligibility. Also, as appointments to receive the vaccine become available, they will appear on the eligibility checker.