PHOTO: Local business owner Lissa Pennell says she has not even had to think about mandating vaccinations for her staff, but she does wonder how difficult it will be to ensure patrons are vaccinated when the government’s roadmap to freedom comes into effect.
By OLIVER BROWN
ALTHOUGH government-led industries are making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for its workers, many Coonamble business owners have elected to strongly-encourage rather than enforce over the past few weeks.
Last week, the state government released its COVID roadmap to freedom out of the statewide lockdown.
The roadmap, which brings with it several new freedoms for those who are fully vaccinated, is scheduled to begin the Monday after 70 per cent of the population have had two doses.
Among these new freedoms, hospitality and retail venues are able to re-open subject to social distancing and masks still being mandatory while inside and outdoors for hospitality staff.
Based on a recent spike in vaccination intake, this 70 per cent milestone is forecast to happen in late October, however several industries and their staff have already been following previously set vaccination mandates.
Over the past few weeks, health staff, aged care facility workers and teachers have already received notice that it will be compulsory for them to receive a vaccine over the next few months if they wish to continue working.
Last week, police officers were also added to the list, with NSW Police announcing all staff will be required to have both vaccinations by Tuesday 30 November.
Corporate Services Deputy Commissioner Karen Webb said the decision was motivated by NSW Police’s involvement in the front lines of the emergency response to the rapidly spreading delta strain of the virus.
“We know that the delta strain of this virus poses a significant risk to police officers and staff – each day, we ask our officers to front up and perform their vital policing functions in this extremely challenging environment,” Deputy Commissioner Webb said.
“The only way to face that risk is by ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines are administered to all staff.”
According to Deputy Commissioner Webb, more than 17,000 police employees have already been fully or partially vaccinated across the state, which includes officers here in Coonamble.
Important for Aged Care
Another business to mandate vaccination, according to government mandate, was the Koonambil aged care facility.
CEO Cath Bush said all staff were mandated to have had their first vaccination by 9am on Friday 17 September to come to work.
“I’m happy to report all but one of our staff have been able to have their first and 95 per cent of our staff have had two – as have all our residents,” Mrs Bush said.
“There was some initial hesitancy amongst a few staff, but as time went on, they thought about who they would be putting at risk by not being vaccinated.
“I’m really proud of the staff with the uptake that we have had – our staff are all valuable members of our Koonambil community and I don’t want to lose any of them.”
Though vaccines aren’t mandatory for all industries at this stage, many other workplaces across town are also strongly encouraging vaccinations for their staff.
Coonamble Bowling Club Manager Tessa Pennell said she had held off a bit due to varying medical advice about her pregnancy but had it as soon as she was able and was pleased almost all of her staff had done the same.
“Across our staff, we’re 97 per cent fully vaccinated – personally, I feel like that’s safer for them, we have a lot of people who come through our doors,” she said.
Welcome freedom
Businesses like the Bowling Club have been closed for almost a month due to the regional stay-at-home orders which came to an end on Saturday 11 September at 12.01am.
The new freedoms awarded to Coonamble residents are very similar to the freedoms that will apply when the roadmap to freedom begins, subject to no further cases of COVID-19 being identified.
While Mrs Pennell was yet to officially hear whether or not her patrons would need to be fully vaccinated to enter the bowling club when the roadmap applies, she said it wouldn’t surprise her if vaccination became a necessity for life to return to any sense of normalcy in Coonamble.
“It feels like people aren’t going to have much of a choice if they want much of a life,” Mrs Pennell said.
In recent months, small business advocacy group COSBOA have been advising employers to strongly encourage staff to get vaccinated rather than make it mandatory.
Great staff vax rates
Some business owners have elected to lead their staff by example while leaving the ultimate decision up to them.
“All of our directors, including myself, have got it done – we wanted to set a good example for our staff and we hoped they will all follow,” Robert Kahn from Kahn’s IGA said.
“Fortunately, all my staff in Coonamble have now been vaccinated with at least one dose and a couple have already had two.”
“When it comes to our customers, I would prefer them all to have had it, especially when we hit that 80 per cent double vaccination across NSW, though it won’t be required.”
Mr Kahn said if a customer has not been vaccinated by late October, they may start asking for proof of a recent negative COVID test instead, but he acknowledged this would be a difficult thing to stay on top of.
Lissa Pennell from CJ’s Country Kitchen said she also left the choice of having a vaccine up to her staff and was pleased they all elected to get vaccinated.
“All my staff have had at least one vaccination – some have had both – so we fortunately haven’t even had to think about making it mandatory,” Ms Pennell said.
“As for our patrons moving forward, if we have to mandate it, that’s what we’ll have to do, but I do think it would be a nightmare to police it. It was hard enough back when we first had to make wearing masks and checking-in compulsory.”
Tessa Pennell agreed that monitoring whether or not patrons were vaccinated would be difficult, although she and her team were trying to come up with ways to make it work.
“We’ve worked out that staff from different areas are going to take turns covering the door,” she said.
“I’m also in talks with the people who run our membership system to see if we can add something to our members’ files once we have seen proof they are vaccinated.
“They haven’t got back to me yet about whether it is or isn’t possible but it would save a lot of time if we don’t have to ask our members every day once we’ve seen it.”