COVID-Ready Road Map

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Minister, can you update the council on how the government is preparing our health system as part of South Australia's COVID-Ready Plan?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for her question. As members of the council are aware, South Australia's COVID-Ready Plan road map was released this week, which outlines the stages for the safe reopening of borders and easing of restrictions in South Australia. The government has made a series of announcements in recent weeks in relation to strengthening our health system to manage COVID cases in the future.

Today, another announcement was made. As part of the Marshall Liberal government's COVID-ready response, we are investing $5.5 million in the development of a COVID care centre, a rapid assessment and treatment centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The COVID care centre at the RAH will be the first of several hubs that will play a key role in the treatment and care of COVID-positive patients. COVID care centres will help keep South Australians safe by ensuring that they get the care they need when we open up our borders and learn to live with COVID in our community.

The centres will be rolled out across regional and metropolitan areas as needed. Importantly, the care centres will reduce the need for COVID-positive people to present in our emergency departments. It is anticipated that about 50 people a day would seek to access COVID care centres. A person would need to be referred by a rapid assessment team or by a GP. It would not be, in that sense, a walk-in facility. The government will also establish a number of supervised COVID-19 care facilities for South Australians who are unable to safely isolate and require care.

I am pleased to inform the council that, in addition to the rollout of the COVID care centres, the Marshall Liberal government continues to boost our health response with almost 400 more beds across the system.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our health workers in South Australia for the vital role they have played throughout the pandemic, in particular the GPs who are working with the SA Health team, particularly those working in the GP Assessment Team, who will continue to play a central role in the management of COVID-positive people in the context of the COVID care centres.

Our community care response will be coordinated by SA Health and delivered in partnership with a range of primary care providers. I want to stress again the importance of getting vaccinated. We know that those who remain unvaccinated are at greater risk of experiencing more serious illness and, potentially, hospitalisation. With walk-in appointments now available across our state, I encourage all South Australians to step up and be vaccinated.