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Covid-19 Vaccination in the City of Sydney – Public Health Promotion Campaign

Decision Maker: Council

Decision status: Recommendations Determined

Decision:

Original motion moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Miller -

It is resolved that

(A)      Council note:

(i)         in October 2020, Council unanimously resolved to agree that science must be put first and misinformation about vaccines must be countered with balanced information that does not prey on parental fear, especially when so many people are anxious about the Covid-19 pandemic;

(ii)        experts have warned that vaccine misinformation and uncertainty spread via social media puts the Australian vaccine rollout at risk;

(iii)      14.6 per cent of NSW residents are considered to be vaccine hesitant with six per cent of NSW residents unsure about getting the Covid vaccine and 7.6 per cent unwilling to get the Covid vaccine;

(iv)      policies to reduce vaccine hesitancy need to be carefully targeted at populations most vulnerable and most likely to transmit the virus;

(v)       vaccine hesitancy has been linked to a surge of Covid infections currently happening in the United States of America;

(vi)      City staff have been working in close collaboration with staff from Sydney and South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts to support testing centres and vaccination clinics, including those targeted at providing vaccines to vulnerable populations.  City facilities have been used wherever practical and appropriate;

(vii)     since the pandemic began, testing and vaccination clinics have been established in Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo, Glebe, the CBD and Redfern-Waterloo, including at a number of City of Sydney community facilities.  City staff continue to work closely with NSW Health to support clinics and testing locations, including those in our own facilities;

(viii)    City staff have been sharing health messaging about Covid-19 requirements, testing and vaccinations, including information provided by NSW Health in multiple community languages, with a range of community members, groups, networks and interagencies throughout the pandemic. The City’s community hotline also provides information about vaccination and testing clinics, and other information and referrals as required;

(ix)      the City’s Public Space Liaison Officers continue to patrol daily and provide information, supports and masks to people sleeping rough. The City is also coordinating communications to building managers of boarding houses and community housing providers and is supplying and distributing masks for residents;

(x)       the City distributed hard copy resources to all social and community housing residents with information on support services, including accessing vaccinations.  This resource includes information in community languages so people can access translators for phone services, information on the City’s Community Hotline, mental health services and domestic and family violence;

(xi)      the City’s Sustainable Apartments eNews has been circulated to approximately 2,400 residential properties and included information on public health orders mandating masks in common areas and where to access mental health and financial support;

(xii)     the City’s Community Hotline information poster has been redistributed to social housing networks (public and community housing), including information in six community languages and our Domestic and Family Violence resource has been redistributed in a range of community languages; and

(xiii)    that the Australian Local Government Association wrote to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt in January about priority vaccinations for local government frontline staff;

(B)      the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the relevant Federal and State Ministers to:

(i)         urgently request that all frontline workers are prioritised to receive vaccinations;

(ii)        seek the urgent opening of more walk-up vaccination clinics in the City of Sydney, further offering the use of Council facilities and other relevant resources for this use; and

(iii)      offer to continue to partner with the State and Commonwealth Governments to extend the support the City is providing, including for example, seek to invite trained health staff who can provide vaccines to accompany the City’s Meals on Wheels and other front line staff, to offer vaccines to vulnerable community members; and

(C)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to continue and where necessary extend the City’s activities to support the safety of our communities from Covid-19, including testing and vaccination efforts.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

S129266

 

Report author: Erin Cashman

Publication date: 16/08/2021

Date of decision: 16/08/2021

Decided at meeting: 16/08/2021 - Council

Accompanying Documents: