Australian Shadow Industrial Relations Minister Tony Burke has confirmed plans for the Greek Orthodox Church of All Saints, Belmore, in the city of Sydney, to be utilised as a pop-up vaccination hub.
Burke made the comments during an interview on ABCT TV Insiders over the weekend, where he reminded viewers that many of his constituents in the Canterbury-Bankstown district have made efforts to drive vaccinations numbers, citing the example of the Lebanese Muslim Association which recently set up a pop-clinic and vaccinated over 1,000 people.
"We’ve been working really hard to get pop-up clinics on the ground… we’re trying to get one at All Saints Greek Orthodox Parish at Belmore. These pop-up clinics work. People see people they know and one of the best ways to combat hesitancy about vaccines is for people to know they’re getting vaccinated in their own community, at your local pharmacy, at your local GP, at these pop-up clinics, at places that people already trust.” said ” Burke said.
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia has confirmed the plans, saying that from Wednesday 18th to Friday 20th August, the indoor gym of the Greek Orthodox College of All Saints Grammar will be provided free of charge for its operation as a pop-up vaccination centre. The large area, as well as the easy accessibility of the location, make it suitable to facilitate the work of the health practitioners in carrying out simultaneous mass vaccinations.
According to the the Archdiocese, the Department of Health will provide the necessary health and support staff, while volunteers from the local parish will be there to help out.
His Eminence Archbishop Makarios urges everyone, Greeks and non-Greeks alike, to support this effort, each according to their position and strength, with the aim of overcoming the current pandemic as quickly as possible.
The news comes as the state of New South Wales is at the epicentre of the latest Delta variant outbreak which have seen a disturbing increase in case numbers forcing the entire state into a mandatory lockdown.
In her daily press briefings, the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reported that there were 478 cases since 8 pm last night, a number she referred to as "disturbingly high".
