Boosters critical to combat winter wave

Dominic Giannini and Maeve Bannister | March 18, 2022

Australians are being encouraged to get a booster dose ahead of an expected future wave of COVID-19 as cases begin to increase across the country.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the federal government has approved a winter plan alongside states and territories for the expected COVID spike and flu season in winter. 

Professor Kelly says more Australians need to get their third shot as booster rates stall.

Around one in three people who are eligible for their booster have not yet had their third shot, Commonwealth health data shows.

“Quite a lot of people have had COVID this year, I think there is some uncertainty or complacency about, ‘Oh look I’ve had Omicron, it wasn’t that bad and now I’m protected’,” Professor Kelly told the ABC on Friday.

“Those are partially true statements but having a booster is still really important. It does give extra protection against severe disease (and) there is also increasing evidence that it protects against long COVID.”

Meanwhile, a new workforce survey shows employees are hesitant to return to the office, worried about a lack of COVID-safe measures and the emergence of a new Omicron variant. 

The survey of 1000 people – conducted by med-tech company vaxxvault – found more than half did not have a COVID testing program or process at their workplace.

More than 80 per cent said they would only feel safe returning to the office if their company had COVID-safe strategies. 

Four in five employees also said employers should be held accountable for not providing a COVID-safe work environment. 

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is reviewing whether a fourth dose will be needed in vulnerable populations ahead of winter.

ATAGI is also reviewing when children will be able to get their booster shot.

Rules around isolation for close contacts are also being reviewed and are expected to be eased.

Despite an uptick in cases, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the border will not close to its trans-Tasman neighbours again after borders open to Australia on April 12. 

Ms Ardern says borders can remain open because New Zealand is coming off the back of its first wave and it is able to safely manage the border reopening. 

The cruise industry is gearing up to set sail again with the ban on cruise ships set to lift on April 17. 

Australia’s main cruise organisation Carnival announced its ships will make 140 calls to Queensland ports this year. 

The state recorded 11 COVID-19 deaths on Friday – the highest in Australia – along with six in NSW, nine in Victoria and three in SA. 

Nationally there were more than 48,000 cases recorded, with 20,050 in NSW.

There were 9036 new cases in Victoria, 1779 in Tasmania, 1123 in the ACT, 6103 in Queensland, 4274 in SA, 258 in the NT and 6176 in WA.