Australian business groups call for uniformed COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Business groups in Australia are pushing for a standardised approach to mandating COVID-19 vaccinations across states and territories as different locations are now moving ahead with the reopening of their economies. 

A national standardised approach to vaccination mandates would offer the “clarity and certainty” for small businesses that had been lacking prior, said The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (Cosboa) chief executive, Alexi Boyd, according to Guardian. 

“We’re not independent countries. The knock-on effect is these differing mandates impact supply chains, logistics, permits, it’s a nightmare trying to figure out all the requirements for states on top of pre-existing worker shortages,” said Boyd, noting that “it restricts the ability to plan”.

“What we’ve learned is the process of mandating vaccines has had a significant impact on small businesses ability to plan for the future … practical things like rostering and logistics become complex,” she added. 

In Victoria, the unvaccinated are barred from attending or working in places like pubs and cinemas until at least 2023, while those in New South Wales would be granted the same freedom regardless of vaccination status, barring international travel. 

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“We’ll need another regime for booster shots and proof of vaccinations around that. There’s so many variables to economic activity right now, time will tell us whether Victoria or NSW will have the most economically successful approach,” added Boyd.