Question Time

COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Workers

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding COVID-19. Why has the minister failed to implement the national cabinet recommendations for a national standard of daily testing of all hotel quarantine workers, including private security guards, cleaners and hotel staff?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:17): It's another year but it feels like another year all over again. We start with the honourable Leader of the Opposition asserting untruths. The fact of the matter is that the national cabinet made a decision on 8 January to introduce daily saliva testing for medi-hotel staff. I would remind the house that it was the South Australian government that was the first jurisdiction in Australia to introduce mandatory testing for medi-hotel staff. We did so immediately after the Parafield cluster, and that PCR testing once every seven days has been continuing. I also think it's important to—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: You didn't want to do it.

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: It's also important to acknowledge the leadership of our Premier at the national cabinet level in relation to pre-flight—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —testing.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the leader!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will get an opportunity to ask supplementary questions; however, the minister has the call and will be heard in silence. The minister.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: What the Premier has done at the national cabinet level is to advocate for pre-flight testing of incoming overseas travellers. Let's be clear, that was opposed by national cabinet but our Premier persisted and thankfully—and I say thankfully—the national cabinet has endorsed that. Isn't it better to stop the infection coming into Australia in the first place than it is to test for it when it's here? I believe that in the story of the pandemic that initiative led by Premier Marshall will be one of the decisive decisions that this state has made going forward.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In terms of the national cabinet decision—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Bourke and the honourable Opposition Whip are out of order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In terms of the honourable member's question regarding the rollout of daily saliva testing, the staged rollout of daily saliva testing commenced immediately after the decision of national cabinet on 8 January. Currently, all nurses across our medi-hotels are receiving daily saliva testing. Also, all staff involved with the dedicated facility are receiving daily saliva testing. By 8 February—and what's that, six days—I'm advised that all medi-hotel staff will be receiving daily saliva testing.

The Hon. J.E. Hanson interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hanson is out of order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: I am advised that the rollout has been undertaken in a staged approach to ensure the availability—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, leader!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Thank you, Mr President. When the opposition mocks in this situation I'm not sure whether they are mocking Tom Dodd, the leader of SA Pathology, who has to manage our precious pathology resources, or whether they are mocking the nursing teams who are providing the quality and safety in our medi-hotels.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: So when SA Health tells me they have undertaken a staged approach—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Hunter!

The Hon. S.G. WADE: —to ensure the availability of appropriate testing capacity at all times, unlike the opposition I do not mock, I do not laugh. I accept the public health advice.