Covid-19: Australia’s Victoria state to completely exclude unvaccinated people from economy
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Australian state of Victoria will bar unvaccinated people from participating in the economy, Premier Dan Andrews has announced.
Victoria is currently under draconian blockade restrictions. Melbourne residents, who make up the vast majority of the state’s population, live under a 9 PM to 5 AM curfew and cannot leave their homes except to work, buy food, or receive Covid vaccinations.
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews: "We've got everybody lockeddown. We're going to move to a situation where… we're going to LOCK OUT people who are not vaccinated…" pic.twitter.com/TtNdA1nxwb
— Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) September 6, 2021
When the blockade is lifted, Prime Minister Dan Andrews said Sunday, future restrictions will apply only to those not vaccinated.
“There will be a vaccinated economy, and you can participate in it if you are vaccinated,” Andrews said. “We will move to block people who are not vaccinated and could be vaccinated to protect the health care system.
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Andrews also shared that a “vaccination passport” will be introduced in the coming weeks in regional Victoria, where proof of vaccination will be required to enter pubs and restaurants. According to reports, business owners are on board with the idea.
One of them said, “While we don’t want to turn anyone away, we have to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of our business.”
The Australian government decided this summer to introduce the passport system in Victoria, to roll it out nationwide.
Andrews is not the only Australian premier to put painful obstacles in the way of his people.
In neighboring New South Wales, Premier Gladys Berejiklian imposed a similarly rigorous blockade last month that is expected to last at least until the end of September and is currently being enforced by hundreds of police and soldiers on the streets of Sydney.
Police have also been authorized to block off entire apartment blocks and ask residents to report for “checks.”
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief