❓ Mr Aubrey asks about the McGowan government's plan for RAT accessibility, particularly in regional WA, and how testing supports households. The Minister details the government's distribution efforts, highlighting free RATs for families and criticising the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 105Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — RAPID ANTIGEN TESTS
105. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's efforts to keep the Western Australian community safe
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the McGowan Labor government is making rapid
antigen tests accessible to all Western Australians, particularly in regional Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how Western Australia's COVID-19 testing
arrangements support Western Australian households?
105. Mr S.N. AUBREY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's efforts to keep the Western Australian community safe
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the McGowan Labor government is making rapid
antigen tests accessible to all Western Australians, particularly in regional Western
Australia?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how Western Australia's COVID-19 testing
arrangements support Western Australian households?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Scarborough
for the question.
(1)–(2) I am very pleased to say that the McGowan
government has prepared well for this COVID surge. Part of those preparations
involved ensuring a solid supply of rapid antigen tests across our community.
RATs are an important part of the testing regime and have been endorsed
by the Chief Health Officer as a diagnostic tool.
We saw with Omicron an impact that we
had not previously seen with COVID, and that was that impact on furlough,
critical supply chains and critical industries. It was not just the health and
hospital system that was coming under strain with large numbers of COVID cases.
We saw the PCR testing system in the eastern states overwhelmed. People were
unable to find RATs in shops. We heard stories of symptomatic people being
turned away from PCR testing centres, business groups warned employees that
they were unable to return to work without RATs, dairy farmers could not get
truck drivers to collect the milk at the farm gate and childcare centres were
in crisis.
The cost of RATs can be an issue for
WA families and that is why we have now prioritised providing access to 15 RATs
to all WA families. No other jurisdiction in Australia has provided free access
to RATs for households. About half a million RATs will be handed out at train
stations, major events and shopping centres, in both regional and metropolitan
areas. An additional 74 000 RATs are being distributed directly to households
in remote and regional towns, and regional distribution is being prioritised.
Every state member of Parliament will receive 1 000 RATs for constituents in
need. New pick-up sites at the Kingsway sporting complex car park will open
from today to Thursday, from 7.00 am to 6.45 pm, replacing the Perth Airport
site for RATs. There is currently a site in Rockingham from which people can
collect RATs. Almost 650 000 families have registered for five free RATs. All
those families will automatically be sent the extra 10 RATs. Half of those
registered will receive their order by the end of this week. Also, 48 000 RATs
will be distributed to Kimberley communities over the weekend.
We are able to offer this
Australian-first free RAT program because we ordered over 100 million RATs. We
used our time well to prepare our state for the COVID surge. We know that RATs
provide comfort and security for members of the community to go about their
business, to send their children to school, to go to work and to continue to
visit their vulnerable and elderly parents. It is an important tool in our
toolbox to manage this surge. All I hear from the opposition is petty
opportunistic comments criticising us for transporting RATs via air freight at
a time when we had global supply chain issues. If it were up to the opposition,
we would be waiting for that supply. We got on the front foot and got those
RATs in when we needed them. I am proud to say that we have been proactive in
securing those supplies and we are giving them to WA households.
for the question.
(1)–(2) I am very pleased to say that the McGowan
government has prepared well for this COVID surge. Part of those preparations
involved ensuring a solid supply of rapid antigen tests across our community.
RATs are an important part of the testing regime and have been endorsed
by the Chief Health Officer as a diagnostic tool.
We saw with Omicron an impact that we
had not previously seen with COVID, and that was that impact on furlough,
critical supply chains and critical industries. It was not just the health and
hospital system that was coming under strain with large numbers of COVID cases.
We saw the PCR testing system in the eastern states overwhelmed. People were
unable to find RATs in shops. We heard stories of symptomatic people being
turned away from PCR testing centres, business groups warned employees that
they were unable to return to work without RATs, dairy farmers could not get
truck drivers to collect the milk at the farm gate and childcare centres were
in crisis.
The cost of RATs can be an issue for
WA families and that is why we have now prioritised providing access to 15 RATs
to all WA families. No other jurisdiction in Australia has provided free access
to RATs for households. About half a million RATs will be handed out at train
stations, major events and shopping centres, in both regional and metropolitan
areas. An additional 74 000 RATs are being distributed directly to households
in remote and regional towns, and regional distribution is being prioritised.
Every state member of Parliament will receive 1 000 RATs for constituents in
need. New pick-up sites at the Kingsway sporting complex car park will open
from today to Thursday, from 7.00 am to 6.45 pm, replacing the Perth Airport
site for RATs. There is currently a site in Rockingham from which people can
collect RATs. Almost 650 000 families have registered for five free RATs. All
those families will automatically be sent the extra 10 RATs. Half of those
registered will receive their order by the end of this week. Also, 48 000 RATs
will be distributed to Kimberley communities over the weekend.
We are able to offer this
Australian-first free RAT program because we ordered over 100 million RATs. We
used our time well to prepare our state for the COVID surge. We know that RATs
provide comfort and security for members of the community to go about their
business, to send their children to school, to go to work and to continue to
visit their vulnerable and elderly parents. It is an important tool in our
toolbox to manage this surge. All I hear from the opposition is petty
opportunistic comments criticising us for transporting RATs via air freight at
a time when we had global supply chain issues. If it were up to the opposition,
we would be waiting for that supply. We got on the front foot and got those
RATs in when we needed them. I am proud to say that we have been proactive in
securing those supplies and we are giving them to WA households.
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