❓ The Premier updates the house on the outcomes of the National Cabinet meeting regarding the COVID-19 response, including travel bans, restrictions on gatherings, school policies, aged care restrictions, and a call for responsible community behaviour.
AnsweredQoN 171Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
NATIONAL CABINET MEETING
171. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Premier:
I refer to the state government's
response to COVID-19. Can the Premier update the house on the outcomes of
yesterday's national cabinet meeting, including the measures that have
been agreed to by the federal and state governments and the advice that is now
being provided to Western Australians?
NATIONAL CABINET MEETING
171. Mr D.R. MICHAEL to the Premier:
I refer to the state government's
response to COVID-19. Can the Premier update the house on the outcomes of
yesterday's national cabinet meeting, including the measures that have
been agreed to by the federal and state governments and the advice that is now
being provided to Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
These are extraordinary times. It
will require the entire community to work together; that is, to work
responsibly with one another in a calm and considered way. The state and
federal governments are doing just that. I reinforce to the house that
everything we do is in lock step with the commonwealth government. Last night,
the national cabinet met for about two and a half hours. Together, we agreed on
a series of unprecedented measures, the likes of which we have never seen in
this country before. Firstly, the commonwealth government is now putting in
place a level 4 travel ban for all overseas travel. This means that the advice
to all Australians is: do not go overseas. I
repeat: the advice to all Australians is to not go overseas. This travel
advisory is unprecedented. A level 4 travel ban is usually reserved for
war zones, like Afghanistan and Iraq. For those currently overseas on non-essential
travel, the advice is to come home now. Airlines are winding down flights. The
message needs to get out to anyone we know who may currently be overseas on
holiday or on non-essential travel to come home now. We are not banning
domestic travel. We cannot just shut off Western Australia from the rest of the
country. However, the advice is that non-essential travel to the east should be
avoided.
The
state and federal governments have also agreed to further limit mass
gatherings. Non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people will
be banned. That does not include Parliament, schools, workplaces, hospitals,
prisons, public transport and a range of other exempted areas. Further work is
being done on advice in relation to gatherings of less than 100 people.
Unfortunately, this will have significant implications for many venues. For
instance, many weddings will no doubt have to be cancelled. That will have
flow-on effects for function centres, caterers and many casual staff. That is a
tragic thing.
In relation to schools, the Prime
Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers have all strongly agreed that schools
should remain open. Closing schools would have severe and catastrophic
consequences that would need careful consideration. For instance, the advice is
that 30 per cent of our healthcare workforce would be taken out of our
hospitals, aged-care facilities and the health system if we were to close
schools. Some frontline workers, such as police, firefighters and paramedics,
would need to stay home. At this point, the firm consensus amongst federal,
state and territory governments is that schools do not close. If that advice
were to change, we would inform the public. However, if there is a confirmed
case at a school, there will likely be a temporary closure, pending the advice
of the Chief Health Officer, but this is all on a case-by-case basis.
In respect of aged care,
restrictions will be placed on visitors to aged-care centres, and the
commonwealth will be issuing those directives.
Finally, I want to address the need
for all of us to act in a responsible and calm manner. Now is not the time for
opportunism. We all need to carefully consider what we do and say in this place
and outside. I was disappointed about what happened in this house yesterday,
when information was carelessly disclosed about a school. We have already seen
some panic in the community. Some of the behaviour we have seen at shopping
centres has been beyond disgraceful; we had people acting like complete
drop-kicks and drongos. It is incumbent on all of us in this place to set an
example. This is the time to lead and provide reassurance to the broader
community. We need to be considered in what we say. We all need to be
responsible, because what we say can have consequences.
will require the entire community to work together; that is, to work
responsibly with one another in a calm and considered way. The state and
federal governments are doing just that. I reinforce to the house that
everything we do is in lock step with the commonwealth government. Last night,
the national cabinet met for about two and a half hours. Together, we agreed on
a series of unprecedented measures, the likes of which we have never seen in
this country before. Firstly, the commonwealth government is now putting in
place a level 4 travel ban for all overseas travel. This means that the advice
to all Australians is: do not go overseas. I
repeat: the advice to all Australians is to not go overseas. This travel
advisory is unprecedented. A level 4 travel ban is usually reserved for
war zones, like Afghanistan and Iraq. For those currently overseas on non-essential
travel, the advice is to come home now. Airlines are winding down flights. The
message needs to get out to anyone we know who may currently be overseas on
holiday or on non-essential travel to come home now. We are not banning
domestic travel. We cannot just shut off Western Australia from the rest of the
country. However, the advice is that non-essential travel to the east should be
avoided.
The
state and federal governments have also agreed to further limit mass
gatherings. Non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people will
be banned. That does not include Parliament, schools, workplaces, hospitals,
prisons, public transport and a range of other exempted areas. Further work is
being done on advice in relation to gatherings of less than 100 people.
Unfortunately, this will have significant implications for many venues. For
instance, many weddings will no doubt have to be cancelled. That will have
flow-on effects for function centres, caterers and many casual staff. That is a
tragic thing.
In relation to schools, the Prime
Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers have all strongly agreed that schools
should remain open. Closing schools would have severe and catastrophic
consequences that would need careful consideration. For instance, the advice is
that 30 per cent of our healthcare workforce would be taken out of our
hospitals, aged-care facilities and the health system if we were to close
schools. Some frontline workers, such as police, firefighters and paramedics,
would need to stay home. At this point, the firm consensus amongst federal,
state and territory governments is that schools do not close. If that advice
were to change, we would inform the public. However, if there is a confirmed
case at a school, there will likely be a temporary closure, pending the advice
of the Chief Health Officer, but this is all on a case-by-case basis.
In respect of aged care,
restrictions will be placed on visitors to aged-care centres, and the
commonwealth will be issuing those directives.
Finally, I want to address the need
for all of us to act in a responsible and calm manner. Now is not the time for
opportunism. We all need to carefully consider what we do and say in this place
and outside. I was disappointed about what happened in this house yesterday,
when information was carelessly disclosed about a school. We have already seen
some panic in the community. Some of the behaviour we have seen at shopping
centres has been beyond disgraceful; we had people acting like complete
drop-kicks and drongos. It is incumbent on all of us in this place to set an
example. This is the time to lead and provide reassurance to the broader
community. We need to be considered in what we say. We all need to be
responsible, because what we say can have consequences.
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