For Manuka restaurant owner Manny Notaras, boosting vaccination rates is the only way out of "another downturn, gloomy year".
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Discussions around the vaccine rollout have flown at Mr Notaras' CAPHS restaurant, but he has observed hesitation from some patrons.
"There are a few stubborn people, but I think at the end of the day everyone just has to take it, no choice," he said.
"I'm encouraging people to get it, 'cause the sooner they get it, the sooner we'll be back to a normal life."
The Canberra Times spoke to Mr Notaras about vaccination in the local community as part of the Vax The Nation campaign.
As the national vaccine rollout continues to expand, The Canberra Times is encouraging readers to show their support for increased COVID-19 vaccination in our community.
The COVID-19 pandemic which has stifled businesses and triggered a cycle of lockdowns across Australia has thrown Mr Notaras' restaurant into a state of "damage control since day one," he said.
"We had to close for two months, when it first came out. Then we got back on our feet with JobKeeper ... And now we've got the second stage now with Covid in NSW and Victoria, and it's affecting more businesses at the moment," he said.
"So it has been very very difficult ... especially this time round we're getting no support from the government, because we're still technically open even though we're running at 40 percent downturn."
On Tuesday the ACT government opened up Pfizer bookings for Canberrans aged 30-39, with those interested quickly overwhelming the system.
To date more than 12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia.
Don't miss your Thursday, August 5 edition of The Canberra Times for your free Vax The Nation poster.
Your free Vax The Nation poster features a striking illustration by Walkley Award-winning cartoonist David Pope, whose editorial cartoons appear in The Canberra Times and other newspapers published by Australian Community Media.
In June, ACM, the publisher of this masthead, launched its national Vax The Nation campaign on the front pages of its 14 daily newspapers serving the national capital and key regional population centres across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
Thursday's gloss poster, printed with the support of the Australian government's Department of Health, urges Australians to arm themselves by booking their COVID-19 vaccination today.
The Canberra Times is asking readers to show their support for a safer, stronger ACT community by displaying your Vax The Nation poster in the shopfront window of your business or on the noticeboard in the lunchroom at your workplace or in your front window at home.
To find out if you're eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination go to australia.gov.au.
Use the vaccine eligiblity checker to see if you are eligible, when and where you can get the vaccination, and to book an appointment.
If you are aged 40 years or more you are eligible for vaccination. If you are aged 16 to 39 years you may be eligible for vaccination.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends the COVID-19 Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as the preferred vaccine for those aged 16 to 59 years, but the AstraZeneca vaccine can be provided to people aged 18 to 59 years of age.
If you are not yet eligible, and aged 18 years or over, you will have the option to be notified when you are.
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