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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-11-17 Daily Xml
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Coronavirus, Hotel Quarantine

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (14:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding COVID-19.

Leave granted.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE: The Premier spoke on ABC radio yesterday about the lack of COVID-19 testing for hotel quarantine staff who work in close proximity to people with COVID-19. The Premier said:

I did query that situation but I was provided with advice that what we were doing was based upon best practice at the time.

My question to the minister is: why weren't staff who worked in hotel quarantine subject to regular COVID-19 testing like people who live in cross-border communities? What advice was provided to the Premier about his queries when he raised them?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:25): I think it's important to clarify that workers in medi-hotels are required to give a daily declaration as to their symptom status and that testing for COVID-19 is readily available to them. No Australian state or territory has been undertaking regular testing of medi-hotel staff and that practice is based on the advice of the AHPPC, Australia's premier group of world-class public health clinicians who determine what is good practice in relation to public health.

My understanding is that the view of AHPPC traditionally, up until this point, has been the concern that staff may delay getting tested when they are aware of symptoms if their next scheduled visit is close. For example, I develop symptoms on Wednesday, I might say, 'I am not really sure; it might just be hay fever. I am scheduled to get tested on Friday, I will wait till then.' My understanding is that public health clinicians are very concerned at that potential response because those two days could infect dozens of people.

The advice of the AHPPC as I understand it, to this point, has been to not have scheduled testing. I should clarify—I should add to my answer by saying that my understanding is that in recent weeks that practice has been under active consideration by AHPPC, even before the outbreak that we became aware of on the weekend. So I would not be surprised if there is a change in practice. From South Australia's point of view, the Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, has already decided that we will be doing seven-day testing, and I am sure if Professor Spurrier was here she would reiterate that.

But that does not suggest that workers, if you like, wait until Friday. The reality is that, whilst mandatory weekly testing will be part of the medi-hotel regime in South Australia, just like any other South Australian, as soon as they become aware of symptoms we would be urging medi-hotel staff to be tested.

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