Question Time

Coronavirus

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing about public health. What is the government's expert advice that has led to schools remaining open?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:32): The Chief Public Health Officer in South Australia, Associate Professor Nicola Spurrier, is a member of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which is meeting daily and has met daily for some weeks now. I suspect it is getting close to two months. For the early part of that period the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee was going to the Australian health ministers COAG Health Council.

From Friday before last, a national cabinet was formed by the agreement of all of the first ministers of Australian jurisdictions, premiers, chief ministers and the Prime Minister. That cabinet decided that it would also endorse the AHPPC as its principal clinical advisory group. The COAG Health Council and the national cabinet consistently rely on the clinical advice of the AHPPC.