MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Western Australia said on Tuesday that it would require all employees that work with natural resources to have a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from December to help protect vulnerable Indigenous communities as the country begins opening up.
People working in mining, oil and gas exploration are required to have their first dose by Dec. 1 and must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 1, the government said. The mandate also applies to any workers flying in and out of remote sites and any visitors to these operations, it said.
“The new directions will address the risks posed by movement of resources sector workers… to and from regional and remote locations in WA, with many sites and operations located at or near remote Aboriginal communities,” said State Premier Mark McGowan in a statement made jointly with the country’s mining and health ministries.
Western Australia, which produces more than half of the world’s iron ore and around half of its lithium, is home to major miners such as BHP Group, Rio Tinto and Fortescue.
There are about 141,000 workers in the natural resources sector in Western Australia.
The state has been among the world’s most shielded jurisdictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, having largely locked the virus out by slamming state borders shut, but Prime Minister Minister Scott Morrison has been pressuring state leaders to open their doors and learn to live with the virus.
Australia closed its borders to international arrivals last March. Morrison said last week that international flights would resume next month.
Western Australia has seen just 1,109 cases and 9 deaths in a population of around 2.7 million and has managed to avoid the months lockdowns seen in the country’s two biggest cities Sydney and Melbourne.
Western Australia has fully vaccinated 54% of its population, while 46% of Australian people have received two shots of the COVID-19 shot.
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
