Why an infectious diseases expert doesn’t support Premier’s plan to slash international arrivals

Daniel Andrews’s plan to slash international arrivals until vaccination rates are boosted has been criticised for leaving Australians stranded overseas.

The Victorian Premier says he will take the plan to reduce international arrivals by between 75 and 80 per cent to national cabinet today.

But director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services, Associate Professor Paul Griffin, says the plan isn’t what Australia should be focusing on now.

“We should be looking in the other direction at the moment,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“Things like locking us down, border restrictions and reducing the ability for people to come back all made sense when we didn’t have a vaccine, but we do now.

“The focus should be now on how we look to open up, how we look to get that vaccine rollout right so we can do that safely.

“If we could get to 60 or 70 per cent (vaccinated) we’re in a vastly different situation in this country, lockdowns and border restrictions become a thing of the past.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about why Professor Griffin doesn’t support Mr Andrews’s plan