COVID news at a glance

1  VIC border closed to NSW and ACT

Victoria has listed both New South Wales and the ACT as red zones under its travel permit system, effectively closing that border from midnight Sunday.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews offered NSW any support the state needs to deal with its second wave, while telling Victorians to return home immediately as the school holidays came to an end.

The border closure became official with an announcement on Sunday afternoon, giving little time for people to return on their existing orange zone permits. However, Victorian health authorities had been discussing a broad NSW red zone declaration for days prior, encouraging residents to return home urgently.

2  New vaccine ad campaign

/  Lieutenant General John Frewen

The Federal Government has launched a new advertising campaign encouraging Australians to get vaccinated. The campaign shows a number of bare arms with a band aid in place to signify receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and has been called the Arm Yourself campaign. 

Head of the national COVID vaccine taskforce Lieutenant General John Frewen, said the new ads were about boosting community spirit and rallying Australians to get vaccinated. He also confirmed that materials used in the campaign will be adapted for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences, and will be done as more vaccine supplies arrive in the country over coming months.

3  Nominations open for Victorian Senior of the Year Awards 

The Victorian Senior of the Year Awards nominations are open, with the awards designed to recognise and celebrate senior Victorians. Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan recently put out a call for Victorians to celebrate older people in their communities.

The awards are divided into six categories, including the Promotion of Multiculturalism Award for an individual who has made a significant contribution in promoting the benefits of cultural diversity in the community. Nominations for the awards close this week on Friday 16 July.

4  New vaccination program to care workers

A corporate program that incentivises COVID-19 vaccinations for aged care workers will be extended to disability support workers. Vaccinations are mandatory for aged care workers and strongly recommended for disability support workers.

Only about 17 per cent of NDIS disability workers are fully vaccinated. 

Disability advocates have been calling for vaccines to be mandatory to protect some of society’s most vulnerable people. More details on the program will be released soon. 

5  Big businesses sites to be vaccination hubs

/  Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg

Big businesses could join the vaccine rollout effort later in the year, with Bunnings and Officeworks among those offering sites as mass vaccination hubs, discussed at a federal government meeting.

In a virtual meeting on last Wednesday, Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg met with corporate leaders from Coles, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Wesfarmers, Virgin and Qantas to discuss a plan to help boost vaccination numbers. 

Wesfarmers owns Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks and has already offered its sites as mass vaccination hubs. Mr Frydenberg indicated that businesses becoming involved would depend on expected mass supplies of the Pfizer vaccine later in the year.

6  Vaccine eligibility for food delivery workers 

/  Nick McIntosh, Assistanat National Secretary for the Transport Workers Union

Unions are calling for food delivery workers to be classified as front-line workers under the vaccine rollout.

With the current lockdown in New South Wales forcing businesses to be limited to takeaway options only, delivery drivers are working despite not being considered eligible for the vaccine. 

Nick McIntosh, Assistant National Secretary for the Transport Workers Union, said that drivers are concerned about losing work if they contract symptoms or are classified as a close contact of a known case. 

He added many delivery drivers are migrants or don’t speak English as their primary language, which is an added obstacle to health messages and vaccine information.