Sky News host Chris Kenny clashes with SA Premier and health chief over massive lockdown concerns

Sky News host Chris Kenny has clashed with South Australia’s health chief after she suggested an 80 per cent vaccination rate would be required before restrictions could be abolished.

Chris Kenny hits out at South Australia’s medical chief after she suggested an 80 per cent vaccination rate might be required before restrictions were no longer the lay of the land.

Mr Kenny criticised Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier for not being “upfront” over the South Australia’s “COVID elimination strategy”.

“You and the Premier both said you don’t want the Delta virus in Australia; in common language that’s an elimination strategy,” Mr Kenny said.

“Do you accept that it’s unsustainable, that of course coronavirus will circulate among the Australian community at some stage?”

A increasingly frustrated Ms Spurrier said the international COVID environment clearly indicated Australia needed a “well vaccinated community” of around 80 per cent “if not higher” or else the new variants would “run wild” without public health interventions.

Mr Kenny responded suggesting the vaccination target was “unreasonably high” given no country had yet achieved it.

“Doesn’t that seem unreasonably high given that no country has got to that level we might not ever get to that level? Also because of the very mild health threat the disease poses to anyone outside those vulnerable groups?”

The health chief shot back Mr Kenny for suggesting there were minor consequences of COVID-19 before he pointed to how no community transmission cases this year had led to deaths.

“I am here to provide information to the South Australian public not to have an argument with you over a minor point,” Ms Spurrier said.

“It’s not a minor point the level of which we get country vaccination and reduce the alarm is not a minor point,” Mr Kenny replied.

Mr Kenny again asked whether 80 per cent vaccination was necessary to “reduce the threats of lockdowns and restrictions” in Australia, but Ms Spurrier ignored him moving on to further questions from the rest of the gathered press.