❓ Mr. Kirkup questions the Health Minister about COVID-19 testing criteria and community spread detection, given perceived tightening of testing and rationing of kits. The Minister denies tightening criteria and outlines monitoring processes through healthcare networks.
AnsweredQoN 156Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
TESTING EQUIPMENT
156. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. I thank
the minister for his response. Given the tightening of the testing criteria and
the rationing of testing kits, how can we and the minister be sure that there
is no level of community spread?
TESTING EQUIPMENT
156. Mr Z.R.F. KIRKUP to the Minister for Health:
I have a supplementary question. I thank
the minister for his response. Given the tightening of the testing criteria and
the rationing of testing kits, how can we and the minister be sure that there
is no level of community spread?
AnswerView source ↗
We are not tightening the criteria;
the criteria remain the same. We are simply making sure that those people who
meet the criteria are the ones who are tested. A number of people have asked
me, ''How do we know when we are moving from a situation of simply
imported COVID-19 as opposed to community spread?'' Of course, it is not
an absolute day one, day two proposition; it is one of making sure that,
clinically, we scan the horizon to ensure that we understand that the people
presenting with acute respiratory illnesses at our hospitals are screened.
Obviously, if we see someone coming in with complications of pneumonia and
acute respiratory illnesses, we will interview that patient, get an idea of
their background and, if appropriate, test them. The member would understand
that we have eyes and ears right through our GP networks, our regional health
campuses and the hospital network in the metropolitan area. We will have a good
line of sight of those issues as they emerge and, as we do so, we will pivot on
our position to move to the next phase of the pandemic response.
the criteria remain the same. We are simply making sure that those people who
meet the criteria are the ones who are tested. A number of people have asked
me, ''How do we know when we are moving from a situation of simply
imported COVID-19 as opposed to community spread?'' Of course, it is not
an absolute day one, day two proposition; it is one of making sure that,
clinically, we scan the horizon to ensure that we understand that the people
presenting with acute respiratory illnesses at our hospitals are screened.
Obviously, if we see someone coming in with complications of pneumonia and
acute respiratory illnesses, we will interview that patient, get an idea of
their background and, if appropriate, test them. The member would understand
that we have eyes and ears right through our GP networks, our regional health
campuses and the hospital network in the metropolitan area. We will have a good
line of sight of those issues as they emerge and, as we do so, we will pivot on
our position to move to the next phase of the pandemic response.
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