Vaccine push for state’s FIFO workers

Queensland's Chief Health Officer has added FIFO and DIDO workers to the priority list for COVID-19 vaccinations in the wake of the current outbreak of the Delta strain. It came with the announcement that school staff and childcare workers would be added to Queensland’s 1B priority list for COVID-19 vaccinations, along with freight and distribution centre workers. The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is planning to establish a vaccination hub for FIFO workers at the Brisbane Airport, subject to Pfizer vaccine availability. And it is encouraging FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) and DIDO (drive-in, drive-out) employees to register through the Queensland Health (QH) website to get vaccinated. The change came as South-East Queensland emerged from lockdown, while the Cairns and Yarrabah Local Government Areas entered a three-day lockdown starting 4pm Sunday (August 8) after news that a Cairns taxi driver had tested positive to COVID. And it follows the case of a FIFO contract worker at the Rookwood Weir construction project near Rockhampton testing positive to COVID-19, forcing other workers to isolate. (Queensland Health said there have been no further COVID cases stemming from that case to date.) The peak mining body said Queensland resources workers of all ages who flew or drove to their workplace - and stayed in accommodation near the worksite which was not their usual home - while performing their shift swing in Queensland or in other parts of Australia or Papua New Guinea were now part of the 1B vaccination priority cohort and eligible for vaccination. QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said opening up priority access to vaccinations for FIFO and DIDO workers was another step towards making regional areas safer and will help reduce community concerns about resources employees travelling to and from work from different areas. “At this stage, Queensland’s vaccination roll-out is driven by the availability of vaccine supplies, which are steadily increasing, but the QRC has made it clear to government that vaccinating resources communities remains a high priority,” he said. “The QRC will continue to advocate for resources communities to be vaccinated as soon as supplies become available.” Mr Macfarlane said the resources sector would continue to observe all COVID-19 protocols as outlined by the CHO and keep encouraging resources companies to maintain their high standards. “The QRC is in constant contact with all relevant government agencies to ensure the sector is doing everything it can to keep the industry’s workforce and regional communities safe from COVID,” he said. Resource sector employees in the 1B priority category can book a COVID-19 vaccination by: Going to https://www.vaccinebookings.health.qld.gov.au/ and selecting FIFO drop-down option (also for DIDO workers). Bookings offered at Queensland Health vaccination locations. Vaccinations may be arranged by employer and Queensland Health, which could include on-site vaccinations.

Vaccine push for state’s FIFO workers

Industry Queensland

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