QRC COVID-19 Working Group spoke about the following (actions in bold):

  • The Queensland Government now requires all workers that will travel across the border to have at least a first dose of vaccination.
    • It will be difficult to get essential workers out of NSW in any circumstances.

A quarantine management plan will, ideally, be in place as part of the application for specialist worker exemptions. QH will view the application more favourably if they have received at least one vaccination. Only small numbers are expected to be approved.

  • Work towards establishing the vaccination hub at Brisbane Airport, at the Pullman, is progressing.
    • No feedback has been received from third-party providers, except Vanguard. Vanguard appear to be more advanced than other providers and have inspected the facilities.
  • There will soon be a large volume of vaccines available in Queensland, so members should be prepared to assist with the administration of the rollout of vaccines to their workforces, particularly by identifying FIFO workers for priority.
  • Mackay will soon be able to administer up to 15,000 doses of vaccine per week. Workers can be registered to be vaccinated at the Mackay pop-up hub.
    • Townsville has been identified as a pop-up, and will also be administering large volumes of vaccines.
    • The QRC will follow up with the CFMMEU re their support for vaccination.
  • Shaun Ferris and Ross Eddington, Department of Resources (DoR), joined the call at 12:38.
    • For applications for Specialist Worker exemptions, it will be a benefit to have been vaccinated at least once, preferably twice and attach a Quarantine Management Plan
    • A question was asked about the applications for the specialist worker exemptions and the vaccination requirement.
    • It was clarified that it is “looked upon favourably if vaccinated once, more so if twice, and more so again if these are accompanied by a quarantine management plan”. The more layers of risk controls that are put in place, in short, the more favourable the application will be looked upon.
  • It was asked if quarantine management plans with a hotel quarantine of 14 days are being assessed more quickly than those without. DoR responded that Qld Health is happy for work-based quarantine to be proposed, but it raises questions around the controls.