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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-21 Daily Xml
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COVID-19 Home Quarantine

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (14:37): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO: The COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for quarantine for both international and domestic travellers. Will the minister please update the house on what is being done to expand quarantine?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for her question. The Marshall Liberal government is committed to ensuring that a flow of travellers is maintained and that quarantine facilities are available to meet their needs. It is crucial that the South Australian community remains safe from the importation of COVID-19, and quarantine is crucial to that effort.

The Marshall Liberal government is working in partnership with the commonwealth government in the trial of a home quarantine app, with a carefully selected group of travellers from interstate. Following a successful first phase, we have also expanded the program to include both ADF and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade personnel. As of yesterday, Monday 20 September, there were 147 people enrolled in the home quarantine solution program and 42 people have completed their quarantine under the trial.

The home quarantine program is now expanding to accommodate 500 travellers quarantining. That is an intake of 250 each week. That will significantly expand the capacity that can be provided through the medi-hotel system. The app involves the combination of geolocation and facial recognition software. In particular, candidates will receive live facial verification requests, as I understand it, three to five times a day, and also that will be supplemented by SAPOL checks.

I think it is important to stress that the app is not just about monitoring compliance, it also provides essential support and resources to its users. It includes daily symptom checking and provides access to support and resources, and reminds them of the user testing schedule as well. The home quarantine trial, once proven effective, will assist in the repatriation of many more Australian residents from both interstate and overseas.

It is important to note that these need to be strict measures to ensure that the risk of the transmission from the trial is reduced. We look forward to continuing to improve the app. We look forward to bringing more South Australians home to the state and to the nation.

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