Experts divided as hospitality workers call for end to COVID-19 rule

Victorian hospitality workers are calling for the vaccine mandate to come to an end, as staff face violent abuse from customers over the rule, but experts are divided over whether it still serves a role.

Head of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences, Bruce Thompson, says it’s worth investigating whether the hospitality vaccine mandate is stopping the spread of COVID-19.

“In this particular case I think it could be worth questioning: is this actually in any way stopping any further spread of the virus? Arguably it could be,” he told Jimmy Bartel and Shane McInnes, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“I think this is the time now to … just start working out where the spread of the virus is actually happening.

“If it’s not occurring in hospitality anymore then yes, we can relax restrictions.”

But Professor Thompson says returning to pre-pandemic life is a lofty goal.

“In my view, going back to 2019 is going to be quite a tricky thing to do and I wouldn’t have that as a high expectation,” he said.

“We can’t afford to have 400 people in hospital with COVID all the time.”

Press PLAY below to hear more of Professor Thompson’s thoughts on dropping the vaccine mandate

But public health physician at Melbourne University, Professor Nathan Grills, says vaccine mandates have served there purpose and there’s no public benefit to keeping them any longer.

“It’s now a time to really roll them back and, if at all, keep them in really high risk settings … but outside that we’re not going to see much benefit from mandates now because most people are vaccinated,” he told Tony Jones, filling in for Neil Mitchell.

“I don’t think keeping the vaccine mandate in place now is going to increase the vaccination rate at all. It’s done it’s job so it can be removed safely.”

Press PLAY below to hear why Professor Grills thinks it’s time to drop vaccine mandates