COVID-19 Testing Clinics

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (15:31): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health. Why did the Victoria Park testing clinic turn people away last night and again this morning, and will the government reopen the two testing clinics at The QEH and RAH to accommodate increased demand arising from the escape of COVID-19 from a South Australian medi-hotel?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:31): It is a good question and I am particularly pleased to receive it because at the time when these decisions were being made I was at the clinic and talking to the high-quality and hardworking SA Pathology staff who might have had plans for last night, but to protect the people of this state they put themselves out. I heard about one person who, immediately they got the call, downed tools and came to do their service for the people of the state.

Let's be clear about the situation we faced. Last week, on average, we had slightly over 2,700 tests per day but yesterday SA Pathology was faced with the prospect of testing more than 5,000 people. The situation at mid-evening last night was that SA Pathology made the judgement, which I think was simply a matter of good customer service, that they were not going to be able to test everybody in the queue. As I was leaving the site, the queue went as far as—I might get this slightly wrong but my estimate is that the end of the queue was somewhere between the Britannia roundabout and Greenhill Road.

The decision was made by the hardworking SA Pathology staff, to protect the people of South Australia from a wasteful hour upon hour wait in the queue, to make an estimate as to what is likely to have been the point in the queue that would be achieved by the designated closing time of 12 midnight. In good faith they made an estimate. They suggested to people beyond that point in the queue that they should come back tomorrow. I believe that that was a responsible decision to make, not just in terms of respecting the time of our customers but also in terms of traffic management and safety.

The PRESIDENT: The time for questions has expired and I call on the business of the day.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: Mr President, can I seek a point of order?

The PRESIDENT: Sorry, a point of order?

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: I just want to make a statement in relation to some statements made by the health minister in question time.

The PRESIDENT: You can seek leave to make a personal explanation.