COVID-19 Treatment Centres

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:04): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing about health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: The government committed in October to opening rapid assessment and treatment centres for people with COVID-like symptoms. The government also committed in October to establishing a network of respiratory-ready GP clinics. My questions to the minister are:

1. When will the government's promised rapid assessment and treatment centres open?

2. When will the government's promised respiratory-ready GP clinics come online?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:05): My understanding in relation to the first rapid assessment clinic at the Royal Adelaide Hospital is that it has already opened. If it has not already opened, it will do shortly. I would underscore the fact that, in spite of the questioning leading up to the opening day of 23 November by the opposition in previous parliamentary sitting days, we have not seen a tsunami of cases. The government consistently said that would not happen. The fact of the matter is that you open your borders and over time there will be seeding. In that regard, my understanding is that in the days since the opening there have been about 10 cases in South Australia, and they would not all be interstate acquired.

There is unlikely to be a strong need for the full range of facilities the government is planning for in the immediate future, but the government is continuing to roll out initiatives. The work is being done not just in the COVID readiness space in terms of caring for people who are COVID positive but also it is being done in the context of the ongoing vaccination effort. This morning, for example, I was delighted to be at Pooraka for the opening of the first South Australian COVID vaccine drive-through clinic. There have been drive-through clinics in Victoria and New South Wales, and we are building on that experience to continue to push the vaccination program.

The COVID-ready road map that was released by the government is predicated on an ongoing effort to increase our vaccination rates. We have made it clear that the progress in terms of easing restrictions and opening borders is predicated on vaccine milestones, the first being 80 per cent of 16 plus and the second being 90 per cent of 12 plus. The most important way that South Australia can be COVID ready is to make sure that as many South Australians as possible get vaccinated.