The federal government has defended its ad campaign to urge people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus virus, which is now running rife in Greater Sydney, causing the death of a women in her 90s.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
One ad - Arm Yourself - shows a series of bare arms with band-aids stuck on to signify they have had the jab.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was unimpressed, saying as a public information campaign it doesn't cut it.
Vaccine task force leader Lieutenant General John Frewen said it is part of a range of materials aimed at getting people vaccinated.
"I think it is very appropriate that we progressively build a campaign to the later months in the year when we are then more fully aware of exactly who has come forward to get vaccinated," he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.
"We then need to tailor products to help get those later groups of Australians who may have been a bit slower to get vaccinated or a bit more hesitant to get vaccinated, we can really start to tailor the campaign then."
However, a separate "more graphic" ad is running in NSW, showing a young woman in hospital on a ventilator struggling for breath.
"We are only doing this because of the situation in Sydney," Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said.
"The messages will be clear. Stay-at-home, get tested and booked in for a vaccination. It is quite graphic and it is meant to be graphic, it is meant to really push that message home that is important."
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the death of a women in her 90s, as well as 77 new cases in the 24 hours to 8 pm on Saturday.
She warned that she would be 'shocked' if new cases didn't top 100 cases when she report backs on Monday.
Professor Kelly said a resident of a Sydney aged care facility is seriously unwell in hospital.
Six people have now been infected in the SummitCare facility in Baulkham Hills and transferred to the Westmead Hospital.
"Five of those were fully vaccinated and unfortunately the sixth one was not and I can report she is quite unwell at the moment, seriously unwell in hospital," Professor Kelly said.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth government is expected to announce further assistance for NSW businesses, while also providing aid for individuals and households.
The NSW government is also talking about stumping up extra money for business.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has repeatedly said the government won't be going back to a JobKeeper wage subsidy regime.
But, whatever is decided will be a national policy rather than being state specific.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said while he didn't want to deny NSW getting additional support, his state had to campaign and fight for support during its lockdown.
"I would just say JobKeeper and federal government support, it's not foreign aid," he told reporters in Melbourne.
"It's not like we're some other country. We're part of this country. We're the jobs engine room of this country."
Australian Associated Press
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
