Victorian workers on the Authorised Worker list will require their first COVID-19 vaccination by Friday 15 October in order to continue working onsite, and will need to be fully vaccinated by 26 November. 

The news comes after Victoria recorded its second quadruple figure day of COVID-19 cases and 243 days in lockdown. 

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said, “This is about making sure that we go that extra mile to protect the roadmap to opening… [on October 26], or perhaps even a few days earlier, and to make sure that we can open… and not have a health system overwhelmed with patients who are completely avoidable.”  

With the consensus among public health officials and leading health experts that vaccination is our best chance for protection in our fight against COVID-19, it’s vital that our essential workers, those who are currently able to move most freely around the state, get vaccinated.   

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra said, “Today’s announcement aligns with the Victorian Chamber’s advocacy on this issue, having been in discussions with the State Government for months around the crucial need for them to the use Public Health Orders to mandate vaccination across authorised industries to help businesses open, just as they have been used to keep businesses shut.  

“This is a fantastic announcement that provides businesses with the certainty, guidance and protections they have been calling for and the Victorian Chamber is pleased to see this leadership from the State Government. 

“Every Victorian who gets vaccinated is helping business to get open and to alleviate the pressure on our health system. COVID-19 presents a very different risk to an unvaccinated community than it does to a vaccinated community.” 

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the announcement that the State Government will conduct a walk up Moderna blitz from 4 October to 10 October in various locations across Melbourne to help ensure these workers can receive their vaccine in time. For a full list of these sites, please read the State Government’s media release.  

A recent Victorian Chamber survey of 1300 members revealed that 84 per cent wanted the State Government to make Public Health Orders requiring vaccination to alleviate the pressure on individual businesses to determine vaccine requirements. 

The Victorian Chamber stands ready to assist businesses through this process and provide guidance to the State Government on how arising issues or concerns can be managed.  

Please note: The 15 October deadline will not apply to workers who already have existing requirements under CHO directions – groups like construction, freight, healthcare, aged care and education will still have to comply with previous advice. To view a copy of the full Authorised Worker list, please visit the Victorian Government’s Coronavirus website.