"Not a national plan for picnics": Dan Andrews calls out NSW
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has called out the New South Wales government over its decision to ease restrictions and management of COVID-19 vaccines.
With Victoria recording 92 new local cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, Mr Andrews announced that its lockdown would be extended and that the end-date would be determined in the coming days.
During the press conference, Mr Andrews shared his frustrations with reporters about the struggle to obtain extra vaccine doses, claiming NSW “has received significant extra support”.
“We do not begrudge them that but we are now in Victoria with case numbers too high to safely open up and that means that we have many challenges as well, and it is only fair that we distribute vaccines based on population share and need, of course,” he said.
“But we can’t continue to see hundreds and thousands of extra doses pouring into Sydney at the expense of every other part of our nation.”
The premier also took aim at the NSW government’s plans to ease certain restrictions for fully vaccinated people.
Mr Andrews said the plan does not follow the national plan and comes at the expense of vaccinating Victorians.
“It is not a national plan for picnics,” he said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that five fully vaccinated adults would be able to gather for a picnic from September 13, as long as they were not from an LGA of concern.
On Saturday, Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced additional freedoms from 12.01am on Friday, with weddings allowed to go ahead with up to five guests on top of those “obviously necessary for the actual service”.
The latest change has come as a surprise to many and sparked heavy backlash.
Mr Andrews added that he has spoken with Prime Minister Scott Morrison about the allocation of vaccines from September, with the Prime MInister agreeing to distribute them by population share.