Viral Respiratory Disease Pandemic Response Plan

Mr PICTON (Kaurna) (14:34): My question is to the Premier. Is the government establishing respiratory and fever primary healthcare clinics, as per the SA Health Viral Respiratory Disease Pandemic Response Plan?

The SPEAKER: Can I have the question again, please, member for Kaurna.

Mr PICTON: My question is to the Premier. Is the government establishing respiratory and fever primary healthcare clinics, as per the SA Health Viral Respiratory Disease Pandemic Response Plan?

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL (Dunstan—Premier) (14:34): I don't have that detail with me, but what I do know is that we are very, very well served by the people in both SA Health and in the public health administration in South Australia. When they have requested resources from government, they have been provided with those resources immediately. One of the very first things that they asked us for was, of course, the rapid testing and assessment clinics. I think as of late last week we had 54 of those set up around South Australia, 48 of them in country SA. I think this is a really important thing to set up as quickly as possible.

Obviously, we have already announced, with a great deal of interest from around the country, and in fact from around the world, our drive-through clinics—first of all at the Repat centre and then out at Hampstead—where people can essentially, with a referral from their GP, drive through, provide the specimen without getting out of the car and then have their results relayed to them extraordinarily quickly.

We are very well served by SA Pathology in South Australia, first of all for establishing the testing capability for COVID-19 in South Australia. When this issue first broke, there were very few testing clinics or laboratories around Australia that had this capability, so they set it up in rapid time. Moreover, I think that the testing regime that we have had in South Australia, set up by Dr Tom Dodd, who is the clinical lead at SA Pathology, and his team, is world class. It is absolutely world class, and many people have been referring to that around the world.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. S.S. MARSHALL: So the opposition aren't interested, sir.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Kaurna, you are warned. Minister for Police, be quiet.