Coronavirus crisis: ‘First thing he’s done to help’: Scott Morrison cops jab spray from Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles

Steven Miles has stopped short of accusing the Prime Minister of stealing Queensland’s thunder with a tweet celebrating a jab milestone, instead wryly declaring it was the “first thing Scott Morrison has done to help”. Queensland and the Northern Territory were expecting to wait until the afternoon for confirmation each jurisdiction had reached 80 per cent COVID-19 vaccine coverage when figures were typically updated and released to the public. But the Prime Minister, who has been heavily criticised by Labor State leaders for the slow delivery of doses, revealed the key milestone had been reached early on Thursday morning. When asked if the timing of the announcement was disappointing, Mr Miles said: “Today’s a day for celebrating, it’s not a day for claiming credit”. “I can understand why the Prime Minister would like to claim credit, but the credit belongs to all of the Queenslanders who went and got vaccinated and, of course, the health workers who rolled out the vaccination program,” he told reporters in Brisbane. “In some ways, that tweet giving us the data sooner than we would otherwise get it is kind of the first thing Scott Morrison has done to help.” Queensland and the Northern Territory have hit the 80 per cent double-dose vaccination target, leaving WA as the only jurisdiction still to reach the milestone. WA is now left as the only jurisdiction yet to reach the critical vaccine target as Mr Morrison congratulated Queensland and the NT for hitting the milestone set out in the national reopening plan. New South Wales and Victoria reached the 80 per cent double-jab mark in October, with both States and the ACT now over 90 per cent. Nearly 90 per cent of Australians aged over 16 have had two doses of the vaccine. Thursday’s update comes as Queensland prepares to throw its borders open to fully vaccinated interstate visitors for the first time in more than four months. The Sunshine State originally planned to open the borders on December 17, when it had forecast 80 per cent vaccine coverage would be achieved, but this week Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk brought the reopening forward to Monday December 13. “This is a great day for Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said of the 80 per cent achievement. “Very few places in the world have got to this level of protection before a COVID wave arrives. The credit for this belongs to each and every Queenslander. “But we can’t stop here. Let’s get to 90 per cent and beyond.” Queensland recorded no new community cases on Thursday but two Omicron infections previously detected in hotel quarantine in Cairns and Brisbane were reclassified. The State is expecting a surge in COVID cases once the borders reopen, having successfully suppressed the virus through a strict border strategy. Queensland’s border pass and hotel quarantine systems have kept case numbers low, but the measures have also drawn criticism from business groups and individuals. Critics argue the rules have been too harsh and unfairly tilted towards celebrities and sportspeople. Those who have received both doses of the vaccine and with evidence of a negative test from within 72 hours of entry will be welcomed into Queensland from interstate hot spots from 1am on Monday.

Coronavirus crisis: ‘First thing he’s done to help’: Scott Morrison cops jab spray from Queensland deputy premier Steven Miles

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