The Northern Territory has imposed the strictest vaccine mandate in the world, requiring all workers who interact with the public to receive a COVID vaccine within a month.
Michael Gunner, Northern Territory Chief Minister, announced on Wednesday that the government issued a legal direction requiring workers in all public-faced roles to received the vaccine or else face a $5,000 fine.
Gunner said any worker interacting with the public “must be vaccinated,” because they are “frontline workers in our economy.”
The Chief Minister said exemptions will be “extremely narrow,” saying, “simply not wanting the vaccine is not enough.”
Gunner said:
Critically, the direction also applies to industries who directly face customers and circumstances where the worker may not know the vulnerability of the person they are interacting with.
So, it is simple: If your job includes interacting with members of the public, then you need to get the jab.
If you work in hospitality, you need to get the jab.
If you work in retail or in a supermarket, you need to get the jab.
If you are behind the counter at the bank, if you’re a receptionist, or positions like that, you need to get the jab.
If you are a barber a hairdresser, a beauty therapist, you need to get the jab.
All these workers, and many, many more, directly interact with members of the public. That means you are ‘frontline workers’ in our economy, that means you must be vaccinated.
Of course, there can be exemptions, but these are extremely narrow and must be backed up with medical evidence.
Simply not wanting the vaccine is not a reason.
Today, we are also announcing the date from which this mandate comes to effect. From Saturday the 13th of November, if you have not received, at least, your first dose of the vaccine, you will not be permitted to attend your workplace, in that role, and a failure to comply with that direction is a $5,000 fine.
That means that workers must have received at least their first dose by Friday the 12th of November at the latest.
You have 30 days.
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