Geraldton hospital named COVID-19 vaccination hub

Geraldton Health Campus has been named as one of six COVID-19 vaccination hubs across the State where priority groups will be able to receive the vaccine in coming weeks.

The State Government has outlined plans for the vaccine rollout in WA as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine becomes available at the end of this month.

WA Department of Health director-general Dr David Russell-Weisz said the vaccine would first be made available to key priority groups including frontline health workers, staff at ports who spend time interacting with crew, and aged-care and disability staff and residents.

“WA Health expects that limited vaccine doses will be available in the initial weeks of the rollout,” he said.

“Those in the highest-priority groups will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase of the program, and the first available vaccines in WA will be allocated according to risk.”

He said eligible people would be invited to register for a vaccine using a WA Health booking system.

It is expected the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be the first available, with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine available, subject to approval, in coming months.

More than half a million people across the country will be vaccinated in the first rollout, which will be gradually expanded to include the general public.

Community pharmacies and hospitals will deliver the bulk of vaccines, starting with Phase 2 of the rollout in May. The Australian vaccination program is expected to finish by the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, Mid West travellers heading south risk being turned around this week, with non-essential travel in and out of Perth and Peel still banned.

After a five-day COVID-19 lockdown, South West residents returned to life as normal but those living in the Perth metropolitan area and Peel face restrictions until 12.01am on Sunday.

Only essential travel, including for work, is permitted in and out of the Perth and Peel regions until Sunday morning, with fly-in, fly-out workers allowed to leave via road and air to go to site. If you are permitted to go to Perth, you must wear a mask in public and at work.