Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

We do take responsibility for the vaccination program, right across the country, and the challenges that we've had in the vaccination program—and overcoming them as well. I can say that I am greatly relieved that, during the course of this most recent COVID outbreak in New South Wales, the work that has been done to protect the most vulnerable people in our aged-care facilities speaks for itself, in comparison to the absolutely terrible results that were there last year when we were dealing with the outbreaks in Victoria.

We continue to make strong progress in relation to the vaccination of aged-care workers. Over 50 per cent of those are now vaccinated. But, in addition to that, over 80 per cent of those who are in aged-care facilities have had two doses of the vaccine—two doses—and that is what is protecting the lives of those aged-care residents right now.

Right now in Sydney, sadly, we have seen deaths in New South Wales as a result of this most recent outbreak and the terrible death that was announced today of a young person who fell victim to COVID so quickly. This is a virus that works right across the community, and the Delta variant is a complete game changer. But as we went into this outbreak in New South Wales, we had over 80 per cent of those in aged-care facilities double-dose vaccinated; they've been well protected.

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