NSW Premier denies report she ignored chief health officer’s advice on reopening plan

The NSW Premier has fiercely denied a report she ignored her chief health officer’s advice when deciding on a “road map” to ending the state’s lockdown.

Gladys Berejiklian said she and Kerry Chant were “joined at the hip” and that she wouldn’t implement any plan that the top doctor wasn’t “comfortable enough” with.

Her comments came after The Australian reported Dr Chant had recommended reopening once 85 per cent of the state’s population was fully vaccinated, instead of the 70 per cent goal Ms Berejiklian is aiming for.

According to the report, Dr Chant said a higher vaccination rate would result in a lower chance of re-entering lockdown, and suggested opening any earlier would cause added suffering to the community, before eventually conceding to the government plan provided the R effective (transmission) rate was below 1.

“The NSW government would not announce or endorse anything unless (Dr Chant) had input and unless she felt comfortable enough,” Ms Berejiklian told Channel 7’s Sunrise show on Friday.

Ms Berejiklian said Dr Chant felt the plan would work “so long as everybody does the right thing”.

“That’s always the proviso,” the Premier said.

Speaking on the topic on the Today Show, the Premier appeared less keen to discuss the claims.

She was asked by host Karl Stefanovic: “I think Premier, people just want to know if it was your call, or Kerry Chant’s call, and I think everybody knows that Kerry Chant wanted it to be later, and you’ve called it earlier.”

Ms Berejiklian appeared unhappy with the question, responding: “Well what are you relying on that from? Where are you getting that from?” before turning back to the roadmap designed by the Doherty Institute, claiming it was “actually a bit more conservative” than the national plan.

Under the official NSW opening plan released on Thursday, fully vaccinated people will be able to enjoy a number of new freedoms on the Monday after the 70 per cent target is met.

At the current rate, that target is projected to be met on October 18, which is a Monday. It’s not currently clear if this means restrictions would end on that date, or a week later.