❓ The Minister for Health provides an update on the WA government's response to COVID-19, including expanded testing, mental health support, and participation in vaccine research.
AnsweredQoN 229Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
HEALTH SYSTEM RESPONSE
229. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
response to the impact of COVID-19. Can the minister update the house on the
work being undertaken to stop the spread of COVID-19, including any update to
the testing regime?
HEALTH SYSTEM RESPONSE
229. Mrs L.M. O'MALLEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the government's
response to the impact of COVID-19. Can the minister update the house on the
work being undertaken to stop the spread of COVID-19, including any update to
the testing regime?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
It is a very important one.
As members would all have observed
over the last few days, we are now getting some great numbers—some
terrific numbers—which is a real testament to the discipline and
commitment of the community around social distancing,
good personal hygiene, and observing the measures we have in place to protect
everyone. We have had some great success around suppression, and now we
must move to vigilance. We must make sure that we are in a position to ensure
that we can see any outbreaks of the virus when they occur. As a result, I announced
last week that we would be significantly
expanding our testing regime for the COVID-19 clinics and testing sites across Western
Australia. Now, any member of the public who is presenting with a fever, a history
of fever in the last few days, or a respiratory illness, such as shortness of
breath, a cough or a sore throat, will be tested for COVID-19. We want to do
this because we want to see as wide a group and the largest number of people
tested as possible.
There are now nine COVID clinics
across Western Australia. In addition, members of our regional communities can
be tested at either their WA Country Health Service clinics, the Aboriginal
Medical Service clinics, or any of the Royal Flying Doctor Service primary care
clinics. We will soon expand that even further. I announced recently that we would soon be moving to allow people to be
tested via a referral from their general practitioner, which we anticipate will
be done by telehealth, so people would not even have to set foot in their GP's
clinic. They will be able to go to a collection centre run by some of our great
partners in the private pathology industry to get themselves swabbed and
tested. Once again, we are making sure that we extend the breadth and the
volume of people we are testing.
In other news, I announced last
week that we have launched a new mental health campaign. Many members have
observed that the pandemic has not only a physical impact, but also a mental
health impact. People who are isolating, although practising good physical
distancing, are becoming socially disconnected. We have launched a $455 000
campaign to remind people about what they can do to protect their mental health
and wellbeing during this period. Think Mental Health's ''Be
Positive. Be Connected. Be Active.'' campaign focuses on self-care and
wellbeing strategies. It provides ways that people can support themselves and
each other, and where they can get further help, should they need it.
I
also want to highlight some research that is now being undertaken in Western Australia
as part of a national program to explore the impact of certain vaccines
as part of the overall research into a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.
At least 2 000 WA healthcare
workers will be tested to see whether the existing tuberculosis vaccine can
help reduce their chance of COVID-19 infection or lessen the severity of the
symptoms and boost immunity. It is called the BRACE trial. This national
program run in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research
Institute in Melbourne has been endorsed by
the World Health Organization. Up to 750 frontline staff from Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital, 750 frontline staff from Fiona Stanley Hospital and
500 frontline staff from Perth Children's Hospital will participate.
They will receive their standard influenza vaccine but half of the participants
will also receive a Bacille Calmette-Guerin, or tuberculosis, vaccine. The
program seeks to establish whether the BCG vaccine, which is known to boost
immunity against a range of infections, has a similar effect against COVID-19.
The trial is led in Western Australia by the great Telethon Kids Institute.
In particular, I want to pass on my
thanks to the Minderoo Foundation for its $1.5 million commitment, which is
making sure that Western Australian frontline healthcare workers can
participate in this world-leading research. It is a terrific opportunity to
engage all our partners right across the health sector, including PathWest,
which will be doing a lot of the testing in relation to this virus, and I would
like to congratulate all involved.
It is a very important one.
As members would all have observed
over the last few days, we are now getting some great numbers—some
terrific numbers—which is a real testament to the discipline and
commitment of the community around social distancing,
good personal hygiene, and observing the measures we have in place to protect
everyone. We have had some great success around suppression, and now we
must move to vigilance. We must make sure that we are in a position to ensure
that we can see any outbreaks of the virus when they occur. As a result, I announced
last week that we would be significantly
expanding our testing regime for the COVID-19 clinics and testing sites across Western
Australia. Now, any member of the public who is presenting with a fever, a history
of fever in the last few days, or a respiratory illness, such as shortness of
breath, a cough or a sore throat, will be tested for COVID-19. We want to do
this because we want to see as wide a group and the largest number of people
tested as possible.
There are now nine COVID clinics
across Western Australia. In addition, members of our regional communities can
be tested at either their WA Country Health Service clinics, the Aboriginal
Medical Service clinics, or any of the Royal Flying Doctor Service primary care
clinics. We will soon expand that even further. I announced recently that we would soon be moving to allow people to be
tested via a referral from their general practitioner, which we anticipate will
be done by telehealth, so people would not even have to set foot in their GP's
clinic. They will be able to go to a collection centre run by some of our great
partners in the private pathology industry to get themselves swabbed and
tested. Once again, we are making sure that we extend the breadth and the
volume of people we are testing.
In other news, I announced last
week that we have launched a new mental health campaign. Many members have
observed that the pandemic has not only a physical impact, but also a mental
health impact. People who are isolating, although practising good physical
distancing, are becoming socially disconnected. We have launched a $455 000
campaign to remind people about what they can do to protect their mental health
and wellbeing during this period. Think Mental Health's ''Be
Positive. Be Connected. Be Active.'' campaign focuses on self-care and
wellbeing strategies. It provides ways that people can support themselves and
each other, and where they can get further help, should they need it.
I
also want to highlight some research that is now being undertaken in Western Australia
as part of a national program to explore the impact of certain vaccines
as part of the overall research into a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.
At least 2 000 WA healthcare
workers will be tested to see whether the existing tuberculosis vaccine can
help reduce their chance of COVID-19 infection or lessen the severity of the
symptoms and boost immunity. It is called the BRACE trial. This national
program run in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research
Institute in Melbourne has been endorsed by
the World Health Organization. Up to 750 frontline staff from Sir Charles
Gairdner Hospital, 750 frontline staff from Fiona Stanley Hospital and
500 frontline staff from Perth Children's Hospital will participate.
They will receive their standard influenza vaccine but half of the participants
will also receive a Bacille Calmette-Guerin, or tuberculosis, vaccine. The
program seeks to establish whether the BCG vaccine, which is known to boost
immunity against a range of infections, has a similar effect against COVID-19.
The trial is led in Western Australia by the great Telethon Kids Institute.
In particular, I want to pass on my
thanks to the Minderoo Foundation for its $1.5 million commitment, which is
making sure that Western Australian frontline healthcare workers can
participate in this world-leading research. It is a terrific opportunity to
engage all our partners right across the health sector, including PathWest,
which will be doing a lot of the testing in relation to this virus, and I would
like to congratulate all involved.
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