Dan Andrews lashes out at Greg Hunt
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has called out Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt for “lecturing” Victorians on how to get more kids to get the jab.
From 11.59pm on Friday, Victorians will no longer need to wear masks in most indoor settings for the first time in 65 days.
But, this rule doesn’t extend to primary schools, with students in Year 3 to 6 and teachers required to stay masked-up.
After the decision prompted backlash, Mr Hunt suggested the “fastest way” to end the mask requirement was to have a school-based vaccination program.
Mr Andrews quickly hit back at the federal minister “who forgot to place an order for vaccines” for thinking he could lecture the state “on how to get that job done”.
“We’ve got arrangements in schools, we’ve run vaccination hubs and pop-ups in schools. I’ve got a Whatsapp message from the prime minister the day after I made those announcements saying it was one of the best things he’d ever heard,” Mr Andrews said.
“I’ve got the prime minister saying it’s the greatest thing we’ve ever done and I’ve got Greg Hunt out there … and frankly, Victorians don’t take orders from Greg Hunt, the bloke who forgot to place an order for vaccines. Like, seriously.
“We’re out there doing the commonwealth government’s work for them. The least they could do is not be lecturing us on how to get that job done.”
Following Tuesday’s announcement on mask requirements, Mr Andrews said the vaccination rate among five to 11-year-olds, which had just passed 50 percent, needed to be higher.
“I’d like to see them higher and whilst they grow every day, they’re perhaps lower than we thought they would be,” he said.
On Wednesday, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer explained the decision on Twitter, saying the rules wouldn’t “be forever”.
“We’ve still got 7000 cases a day, and children aged 5 to 11 currently have the lowest vaccination coverage,” Brett Sutton wrote.
“My primary-school-aged kids have worked masks into their usual routine.
“They may not always wear them perfectly every day (and some children can’t wear them at all) but overall, this is going to put downward pressure on transmission.”
However, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy criticised the continuing mask mandate for children, saying it “doesn’t make any sense” and accusing Mr Andrews of “playing Covid politics” with kids.
“Masks being kept for grades 3-6 is ridiculous and unfair on kids,” he wrote on Twitter.
“The Andrews Govt needs to stop playing Covid politics with our kids. Priority should be catching up on two years of lost learning.”
Image: Getty Images