❓ Mr. Rundle questions the Health Minister about the communication of directions at the Eucla checkpoint regarding truck drivers with unclear rapid antigen test results being directed to Esperance or Kalgoorlie. The Minister acknowledges communication gaps due to the rapid evolution of the situation.
AnsweredQoN 503Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — TESTING — EUCLA
503. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the introduction of rapid
antigen testing for truck drivers crossing the border into Western Australia.
Was anyone in the WA Country Health Service or in the affected communities made
aware of the direction being given at the Eucla checkpoint to people with
unclear test results to travel to Esperance or Kalgoorlie and isolate?
503. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the introduction of rapid
antigen testing for truck drivers crossing the border into Western Australia.
Was anyone in the WA Country Health Service or in the affected communities made
aware of the direction being given at the Eucla checkpoint to people with
unclear test results to travel to Esperance or Kalgoorlie and isolate?
AnswerView source ↗
To the best of my knowledge, member,
that decision would have been circulated through the player group, so to speak. It may not have reached everyone, because
these situations, as the member knows, often unfold fairly rapidly .
There are two reasons why we put in the directions for rapid antigen testing
for those truckies who had not yet received
a result from their COVID-19 test. First, the member will remember that those
truckies who were tested on 25 August in Sydney were already in Kewdale
by the time they got their results back and, in that particular case, as the member will recall, they tested positive.
Second, we have since received anecdotal reports from South Australia and Queensland that they are getting an increasing number of truckies who are
COVID-positive so we thought that we needed
to take a much more proactive stance. The directions require someone who is
presenting at the border at Eucla or
Kununurra who has not yet received a negative result to undertake a rapid
antigen test, which is either taken at
the border at Eucla or at Kununurra Hospital. In the event that they produce a positive
result—unfortunately, rapid antigen testing is still about one
in five—they are required to do one of two things; they can wait for
their pending result to actually come through or they can make their way to a testing
post, which might be in Norseman or some other location. We put these processes
in place because we know that Delta will continue to throw curve balls at us,
so we need to continue to adapt as we go forward. Sometimes we have to adapt
very quickly and not everyone can
necessarily be in the loop. We are obviously trying to make sure that everyone
gets the advice so they know, as part of the team, what decisions and
steps to take in the event that they are involved in that circumstance.
that decision would have been circulated through the player group, so to speak. It may not have reached everyone, because
these situations, as the member knows, often unfold fairly rapidly .
There are two reasons why we put in the directions for rapid antigen testing
for those truckies who had not yet received
a result from their COVID-19 test. First, the member will remember that those
truckies who were tested on 25 August in Sydney were already in Kewdale
by the time they got their results back and, in that particular case, as the member will recall, they tested positive.
Second, we have since received anecdotal reports from South Australia and Queensland that they are getting an increasing number of truckies who are
COVID-positive so we thought that we needed
to take a much more proactive stance. The directions require someone who is
presenting at the border at Eucla or
Kununurra who has not yet received a negative result to undertake a rapid
antigen test, which is either taken at
the border at Eucla or at Kununurra Hospital. In the event that they produce a positive
result—unfortunately, rapid antigen testing is still about one
in five—they are required to do one of two things; they can wait for
their pending result to actually come through or they can make their way to a testing
post, which might be in Norseman or some other location. We put these processes
in place because we know that Delta will continue to throw curve balls at us,
so we need to continue to adapt as we go forward. Sometimes we have to adapt
very quickly and not everyone can
necessarily be in the loop. We are obviously trying to make sure that everyone
gets the advice so they know, as part of the team, what decisions and
steps to take in the event that they are involved in that circumstance.
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