Australia PM walks back "mandatory coronavirus vaccine" commentsAugust 19, 2020 - 16:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backtracked on comments he made saying that he planned to make coronavirus vaccinations as mandatory as possible, CNBC reports. “Can I be really clear to everyone? It’s not going to be compulsory to have the vaccine, OK?” Morrison said Wednesday, August 19 on Australian radio station 2GB. Morrison thought there had been a bit of an “overreaction” to the comments he made earlier that day on Australian radio station 3AW, when he stated that he expected to make a vaccine “as mandatory as you can possibly make it.” He said there would be “a lot of encouragement and measures to get as high a rate of acceptance as usual.” The Australian leader has since said, however, that there are no mechanisms in place to ensure coronavirus vaccinations are compulsory for Australian citizens. “We can’t hold someone down and make them take it,” Morrisson told 2GB later in the day. He also sought to stress that any potential vaccine would be required to pass all trials and “be as safe as any other” existing immunizations in Australia before being administered. Earlier that day on 3AW, Morrison had suggested there would only be exemptions on medical grounds. He argued that there needed to be the “most extensive and comprehensive response” to the coronavirus in order “to get Australia back to normal.” Australia has had 23,993 reported cases of Covid-19 and 450 deaths, according to the latest figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Photo: Quinn Rooney | Getty Images Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |