Highlights
- The prime minister pushed back against claims Australia's most vulnerable have been left exposed
- Acting Premier James Merlino has confirmed Commonwealth approval has been given to access two proposed quarantine sites in Mickleham and Avalon.
- Victoria will also continue to receiving incoming international flights
It's a scenario that's very familiar for Melbourne Residents.
Locking down to fight a coronavirus outbreak the originated from hotel quarantine.
And with questions mounting as to how it could have happened again, Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino has placed responsibility with his Federal counterparts.
"If we had - if we had an alternative to hotel for this particular variant of concern, we would not be here today. If we had the commonwealth vaccine program, effectively rolled out, we may well not be here today"
He's warning that those delays to the vaccine rollout, which missed its targets, has left vulnerable Victorians in aged care facilities exposed.
"It is a fact that the Commonwealth vaccine rollout has been delayed. it is a fact that we have aged care facilities where not one person has been vaccinated. These are facts"
Having pledged additional vaccines, the Chief Medical Officer today adjusted the health advice around the vaccine.
He's waived a the two week waiting period between the flu vaccine and the coronavirus injection.
He says the benefits of covid protection, outweigh the risks.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he's on the the side of Victorians.
"I want to assure Victorians that the Victorian and Federal Government are working hand in glove to get this job done, the only thing that matters to us is their health, their safety"
The Government is poised to back Victoria's proposal for a dedicated quarantine facility to deal with cases originating from hotspot countries
A tender for the construction of the facilities is to be launched tomorrow according to the Acting Premier
" We do not yet have the formal green light from the Commonwealth. We are waiting on the green light in terms of going ahead with the project and the commonwealth funding construction. But we are making progress in what the state is doing."
The Prime Minister has repeatedly defended the Hotel Quarantine system,
He says this facility, which will be state run, won't be a replacement for CBD Hotels.
"We think this can be done quicker. that is one of the things we are working through with them now, one of the useful elements of this proposal is that it adds to capacity, it is not in place of hotel quarantine."
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese say it all comes far too late
"Labor has been saying for a long period of time that the government had two jobs this year: to get quarantine right, and to get the rollout of the vaccine right."
