A privately-owned retirement village operator has acted on the sector’s big talking point – making it mandatory for contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Founder and Managing Director, Chiou See Anderson, said her Elements Retirement Living village in Springwood, 22.3km southeast of Brisbane, has between 30 and 50 contractors visit every month.
“Many of our residents are in their 70s, with some in their 90s, so it’s essential we put this measure in place to ensure their continued safety,” she said.
The ‘no jab, no work’ policy states that every contractor entering the village will have to prove they have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination jab.
Ms Anderson said the fact the Morrison Government only mandated for aged care residents and full and part-time staff to be vaccinated has left her residents vulnerable. She said her staff volunteered to become fully vaccinated “at the earliest possible opportunity”.
Local plumber Marc Melville, of Luzac Plumbing, supports the move.
“I think business owners should lead by example, get vaccinated and encourage their staff to be vaccinated.
“The sooner we do that the sooner we can all get back to normal life.”
