Paralympics Australia has welcomed the decision by the National Cabinet to vaccinate athletes and support staff on the Australian Paralympic Team ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Today’s confirmation provides a new and important level of assurance for our team during what has been a Games preparation filled with uncertainty.
As part of the Government’s national rollout, a number of Paralympic athletes and support staff were classified under priority group 1b, due to their level of impairment and as such, some team members have begun the vaccination process.
However, for the rest of our team members, some of whom face the prospect of travelling overseas in the coming weeks for qualification events before heading to Tokyo, this decision allows complex planning to proceed with more certainty.
In the current global environment, that is something we do not take for granted.
Paralympics Australia warmly thanks the Federal Government for its incredible support of the Australian Paralympic Team and we extend our appreciation to the National Cabinet for recognising the position that has brought us to this point.
We have greatly appreciated the engagement and understanding of Health Minister Greg Hunt and Sports Minister Richard Colbeck throughout the process.
We also understand that the vaccination of vulnerable Australians continues to be the number one priority for the Federal Government, as it should be.
Today marks 119 Days until the Tokyo Paralympic Games opening ceremony.
Paralympics Australia continues to do everything we can to create an optimal performance environment for the Australian Paralympic Team in Tokyo, always with the health and safety of every single team member at the forefront of every decision we make.
Posted: 27 April 2021