So far, health workers and police are covered by the sweeping jab orders
The business community in South Australia is urging the government to expand its vaccination mandate to more sectors in a bid to boost vaccination rates to reach the 90% target of the state. Martin Haese, chief executive of Business SA, said that with over 80% of eligible South Australians already receiving their first dose, opposers of sector-specific vaccine mandates are "definitely in the minority."
"Without a broader industry vaccination mandate to give employers clarity and assist with reaching 90% double vaccination by Christmas, we risk losing South Australia's key advantage of having led the country in managing the virus to date," Haese said in a statement.
He added that the state's success in mitigating the impact of the pandemic is because of the maintained "connection between the employer and employee."
"Yes, there have been labour shortages, and yes, the costs of materials have increased, but South Australian businesses remain confident about the future," he said.
He made the remarks amid the state government's plan to re-open its borders on November 23, saying it will have a "substantial" effect in the economy.
"This announcement is excellent news for South Australian businesses, and the flow-on effect for the economy will be substantial," he said.
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South Australia's mandatory vaccinations on health workers took effect on Monday, with employees required to have at least one shot of a COVID-19 jab or risk being reassigned or put on leave, ABC News reported. ABC said in a report that 133 staff at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital are now under forced leave for refusing to get the jabs before the deadline. SA Health data cited by the news outlet showed that 47 staff members in the Central Adelaide local health network have been reassigned to a post where they will not need to interact with COVID-19 patients. At the Women's and Children's Hospital, 12 workers have been transferred to other departments.
The deadline for SA police is coming next, with personnel required to get at least their first COVID-19 shot by November 15. Meanwhile, the government is considering mandatory vaccinations for teachers.
