NSW Premier grilled on Today Show over vaccine rule: 'You're ok with that?'

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been grilled about a possible Covid-19 booster mandate on live TV.

Mr Perrottet appeared on Nine’s Today show on Thursday morning and was asked about his government’s position on boosters for international arrivals.

The premier told the program the NSW government is yet to make a decision on whether having a booster shot will be considered fully vaccinated, or just the two will be sufficient.

A decision from ATAGI will determine that definition ahead of international borders reopening to tourists on February 21.

Today show host Alison Langdon asked the premier “would you be OK with that?” while pointing out most visitors won’t have booster shots, suggesting they wouldn’t be allowed into Australia if three shots are required.

NSW will follow the national vaccine advice

Mr Perottet said NSW will follow the national advice.

“My understanding, from what the prime minister said yesterday, that the approach would be that, from a tourist perspective, people arriving from overseas and obviously different countries with different rules in place, that you would need at least two doses of the vaccine to ensure that you don't have to be part of the hotel quarantine program that we have here in our state,” he told the program.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on announcing the reopening of international borders on Monday, said tourists would need two doses and “everyone is expected to abide” by that rule.

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National Cabinet is set to meet on Thursday to discuss it further. But any ATAGI review change what Mr Morrison offered on Monday. Today host Karl Stefanovic asked Mr Perrottet which way he will go.

“If the definition of fully vaccinated changed for Australians we would take on that advice,” he told the program.

“That is a different situation for those people coming from overseas in circumstances where they have different procedures and rules in place for their country. So we will work through those issues.”

In what could potentially cause further headaches, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said they will require incoming tourists to have three jabs if that becomes the ATAGI recommendation.

At a press conference on Thursday, Mr Perrottet said "the spirit and intent" of the decisions the NSW government makes will be in line with ATAGI's advice.

He also told reporters he would not change from the current advice, which is two doses, for travellers arriving in NSW in 11 days time when borders reopen.

"We cannot live here in a hermit kingdom on the other side of the world.

"We need to rejoin every other country globally and do that in a sensible and measured way."

Further NSW Covid rules set to ease

Mr Perrottet said NSW is on track to remove the mask mandate and density limits at indoor venues at the end of February. The hope is that removing the mandates and rules will lead to restoring business in Sydney’s CBD including in office spaces.

The premier told Sunrise on Thursday “you can't have people come back into the CBD in circumstances where they have got to wear masks”.

“We have seen that over the last two years,” Mr Perrottet told the program.

“We continue to monitor the situation but we obviously want to bring life back to the CBD, as we have had over the last two years.”

A summit will be convened on Friday in which the state government will discuss a plan to bring Sydney’s multiple CBDs including Parramatta out of their slumps, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The meeting will ensure the busiest areas of Sydney are on the front foot when restrictions ease.

NSW hospital visiting rules eased

The premier told reporters on Thursday hospital visiting rules have also been eased after a backlash from families denied the chance to be at the bedside of their dying loved ones because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The gravely ill, dying, and giving birth will now be able to have visitors as a general rule.

Under restrictions reintroduced at the height of the Omicron wave in December, loved ones of people in those categories had to apply for exemptions to visit.

Many had their requests denied, including a Sydney woman who spent five hours in a hospital car park waiting for an exemption as her mother died alone.

The protocols were intended to strike a "fine balance" between limiting the spread of Covid-19 in hospitals and making sure family support was available to those gravely ill and dying, Mr Perrottet said.

"But ultimately we want to make sure that compassion is the major focus," he told reporters.

The premier previously apologised on behalf of the state for the hurt caused by the tough rules.

The number of daily visitors will remain limited and hospitals will still be able to block visits where necessary for safety.

with AAP

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