❓ Ms. Davies questions the delay in finalising the Quarantine Advisory Panel's recommendations. The Minister defends the government's actions, highlighting continuous improvements and ventilation upgrades, including retiring 'SHICC hotels'.
AnsweredQoN 80Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
QUARANTINE ADVISORY PANEL
80. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
When this was a key recommendation and accepted by the government in its
response, why has it taken so long to finalise such an important part of the
government's response to COVID management in relation to quarantine
hotels?
80. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question.
When this was a key recommendation and accepted by the government in its
response, why has it taken so long to finalise such an important part of the
government's response to COVID management in relation to quarantine
hotels?
AnswerView source ↗
I
want to address the premise of the question and the tone of it—that is,
to suggest that the government is somehow ignorant of expert advice
about hotel quarantine and that we are not acting on that advice. Obviously, Professor
Weeramanthri provided an expert report to us, supported by other panellists in
his inquiry, and they have continued to
inform us about how we can continue to improve hotel quarantine. We have a continuous
improvement program learnt from expert advice and testimony and with
experience, and we continue to make sure those improvements are implemented. In addition to that, the member will be
aware that over the past few months we have been focused on a particular
element of the Weeramanthri report, which is the ventilation components and how
they impact the quality and safety of the services we provide to the guests
staying at the hotel and the staff working in
those hotel arrangements. The member will be aware that we have made a range of
decisions about that, including the retirement of three of what are
normally termed our ''SHICC hotels'', because that gave us cause
to make sure they were taken out.
Mr R.S. Love : What sort of
hotels?
Mr R.H. COOK : SHICC.
Ms M.J. Davies : Maybe explain
that! It did not sound good, minister! On the ground I am not sure that
translates in Hansard !
Mr R.H. COOK : The member for
Vasse will be familiar with this nomenclature, which means the State Health
Incident Coordination Centre, which is SHICC. It is language that we have used
for some 15 months now and obviously has become part of the vernacular when it
comes to our hotel quarantining and our response to the pandemic. The member
will be aware that there have been significant upgrades and improvements to the
way we deliver that element of our response
to the pandemic, and this is another element that will take its place as we
continue to improve the hotel quarantining system.
want to address the premise of the question and the tone of it—that is,
to suggest that the government is somehow ignorant of expert advice
about hotel quarantine and that we are not acting on that advice. Obviously, Professor
Weeramanthri provided an expert report to us, supported by other panellists in
his inquiry, and they have continued to
inform us about how we can continue to improve hotel quarantine. We have a continuous
improvement program learnt from expert advice and testimony and with
experience, and we continue to make sure those improvements are implemented. In addition to that, the member will be
aware that over the past few months we have been focused on a particular
element of the Weeramanthri report, which is the ventilation components and how
they impact the quality and safety of the services we provide to the guests
staying at the hotel and the staff working in
those hotel arrangements. The member will be aware that we have made a range of
decisions about that, including the retirement of three of what are
normally termed our ''SHICC hotels'', because that gave us cause
to make sure they were taken out.
Mr R.S. Love : What sort of
hotels?
Mr R.H. COOK : SHICC.
Ms M.J. Davies : Maybe explain
that! It did not sound good, minister! On the ground I am not sure that
translates in Hansard !
Mr R.H. COOK : The member for
Vasse will be familiar with this nomenclature, which means the State Health
Incident Coordination Centre, which is SHICC. It is language that we have used
for some 15 months now and obviously has become part of the vernacular when it
comes to our hotel quarantining and our response to the pandemic. The member
will be aware that there have been significant upgrades and improvements to the
way we deliver that element of our response
to the pandemic, and this is another element that will take its place as we
continue to improve the hotel quarantining system.
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