Ms THEOPHANOUS (Northcote): My adjournment is to the Minister for Health, and the action that I seek is that the minister provide me with an update on the work the Andrews Labor government is doing to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccinations in the Northcote electorate.

The pandemic has had an immense impact on the inner north. The emotional, financial and social impacts on our community are very real. And while we have all pulled together with grace and courage and resilience, we know there is a way to go yet and we know that the only safe pathway out of this pandemic is vaccination.

As it stands, the Northcote electorate and, more broadly, the municipalities of Darebin and Yarra have vaccination rates that fall well below the state.

Every week I share an update with my community on the rates of vaccination in Darebin, Yarra and surrounding local government areas. The latest data shows Darebin at 76.5 per cent first doses and 52.5 per cent second, while Yarra sits at 74 per cent first doses and 57.1 per cent second.

In Victoria as a whole right now, we are sitting at 86 per cent first dose and 60 per cent second.

In real terms, this difference means that as we reach our next threshold and as we begin to ease restrictions and open up there will be more of my constituents who will be vulnerable to the serious impacts of this virus.

My community is well aware of the seriousness of COVID-19. And we know there are cases already in our community. Outbreaks have been recorded at local schools and businesses, supermarkets and care facilities. We have had deaths.

We need to improve our rates of vaccination across the entire state to achieve effective herd immunity. That means concerted efforts to increase uptake in hard-to-reach communities and those which have had a slow start due to vaccine supply issues from the commonwealth.

It’s been my great pleasure over recent months to support our local multicultural communities to take the initiative in running their own pop-up vaccination hubs.

In Thornbury, the Islamic Museum of Australia and the St George Greek Orthodox Church have both shown commendable leadership in driving this work. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and our local health partner Your Community Health for their dedication to helping to protect our community.

Every day our vaccination numbers are increasing. But we need to accelerate them.

There are so many things my community are looking forward to when restrictions ease. We are a social bunch here in Northcote. Family oriented and deeply diverse, our suburbs shine bright with community spirit and vibrant creativity.

Getting vaccinated means we will be able to do the things we’ve all missed so much and most of all reconnect with each other and our community. It means that we will be safe.

I welcome the minister’s update on what our government is doing to help boost the vaccination rates in the inner north and protect my community.