Shadow Minister for National Resilience, Gerard Maley, says it’s stagging the Gunner
Government has failed to rollout close to half the COVID vaccine doses received from the
Commonwealth.
“New figures from the ABC have revealed the Northern Territory has only administered 58
percent of vaccines.
“The specific advice from the Federal government, Acting Federal Chief Medical Officer and
the Chair, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness to the states and territories is NOT to
stockpile, and vaccinate priority populations as quickly as possible.
“Yet this morning on radio, the Chief Minister thumbed his nose at the experts and admitted
he’s holding back stock for the rollout of the second jab.
“The Territory has a large Indigenous population which is vulnerable to COVID. The Chief
Minister should be doing everything he can to make sure vaccines reach those who need it
most, and not be making it up as he goes along.
“Since the Gunner Government announced it was booting out AUSMAT from managing
Howard Springs we’ve seen significant changes to clinical procedures including scrapping of
rapid antigen testing, overhauls of PPE, lax testing for staff and NT Health has fallen well
short of recruiting 400 additional staff – including specialist medical personnel – to run the
expanded quarantine facility.
“Every bungle from this Chief Minister diminishes Territorians’ confidence in Labor’s pandemic response,” said Mr Maley.