❓ Ms. Collins asks the Premier how changes to the safe transition plan have allowed WA to respond to the Omicron emergency. The Premier details the high death rates in other states and defends the decision to delay reopening, citing high vaccination rates as crucial for a safe transition.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — VACCINATIONS — TRANSITION
PLAN
3. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Premier:
My question is to the Premier —
The SPEAKER : You can stay in
your spot; that is fine. I am just asking members to wait until the little red
light on the microphone comes on so that the audiovisual people can determine
where people are. Thank you.
Ms C.M. COLLINS : I refer to Western
Australia's safe transition plan and the state government's
efforts to safely manage the spread of Omicron in our community. Can the
Premier update the house on how changes to the safe transition plan have
allowed WA to safely and cautiously respond to the Omicron emergency facing
other states across the country?
PLAN
3. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Premier:
My question is to the Premier —
The SPEAKER : You can stay in
your spot; that is fine. I am just asking members to wait until the little red
light on the microphone comes on so that the audiovisual people can determine
where people are. Thank you.
Ms C.M. COLLINS : I refer to Western
Australia's safe transition plan and the state government's
efforts to safely manage the spread of Omicron in our community. Can the
Premier update the house on how changes to the safe transition plan have
allowed WA to safely and cautiously respond to the Omicron emergency facing
other states across the country?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Hillarys for
the question.
The arrival of Omicron in Australia
changed everything. It is far more transmissible and infectious than the Delta
variant of the virus. Since the start of the year, we have seen death,
infection and hospitalisation rates increase dramatically. Until yesterday,
since the start of this year, New South Wales has recorded 1 057 deaths;
Victoria, 765 deaths; Queensland, 377 deaths; and South Australia, 152 deaths.
As I said when I announced the removal of the border on 5 February, back in the
December, it was barring some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe. In my view, the death rate that has been occurring over
the course of the last five or so weeks is an emergency. In Australian terms it is an emergency. We are a country that values human life. Therefore,
it would have been reckless and irresponsible to have just opened the borders
without restriction, with a low third-dose vaccination rate, whilst the eastern
states' numbers were peaking. It would have been absolutely
irresponsible.
I note that the Prime Minister
himself backed our decision. What he had to say was—he said it in
national cabinet as well—that Omicron is a completely different beast
to the earlier variants. It changed everything. He said it on radio here in Western
Australia. The rules had to change. It is completely different from managing
Delta, which was the predominant virus when we announced the border opening
back in December. Given the threat of Omicron, we have taken a safe and
cautious approach. We have delayed a full reopening and we have eased the
border to allow for 30 100 people to come into Western Australia since 5
February, by air and by road, so that families can be reunited in a safe,
compassionate way, involving one week's quarantine and a testing
regime. This has avoided the state being swamped by COVID-19 whilst we continue
to get our third-dose vaccination rate up.
The third vaccination dose,
according to all the health advice, is very important to saving lives. We now
have some of the highest vaccination rates in the world. We have more than 98.5
per cent first dose for those aged 12-plus. People
said it could not be done. The Liberal Party said it could not be done. We have
done it. We have a 95 per cent second-dose rate, 12-plus. We are at a 52.3
per cent third-dose rate for 16-plus—the eligible population. These are
some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, which will put us in far
better stead than other states and other countries when we get much more
widespread virus infection and when we bring down interstate and, indeed,
international borders.
So, vaccination is one of the many
things that this government has done to prepare Western Australia for COVID. I thank
the overwhelming—and I mean overwhelming—majority of Western Australians
who have gone out and got vaccinated. They have listened to the medical advice
and done the right thing by themselves and their families.
the question.
The arrival of Omicron in Australia
changed everything. It is far more transmissible and infectious than the Delta
variant of the virus. Since the start of the year, we have seen death,
infection and hospitalisation rates increase dramatically. Until yesterday,
since the start of this year, New South Wales has recorded 1 057 deaths;
Victoria, 765 deaths; Queensland, 377 deaths; and South Australia, 152 deaths.
As I said when I announced the removal of the border on 5 February, back in the
December, it was barring some unforeseen emergency or catastrophe. In my view, the death rate that has been occurring over
the course of the last five or so weeks is an emergency. In Australian terms it is an emergency. We are a country that values human life. Therefore,
it would have been reckless and irresponsible to have just opened the borders
without restriction, with a low third-dose vaccination rate, whilst the eastern
states' numbers were peaking. It would have been absolutely
irresponsible.
I note that the Prime Minister
himself backed our decision. What he had to say was—he said it in
national cabinet as well—that Omicron is a completely different beast
to the earlier variants. It changed everything. He said it on radio here in Western
Australia. The rules had to change. It is completely different from managing
Delta, which was the predominant virus when we announced the border opening
back in December. Given the threat of Omicron, we have taken a safe and
cautious approach. We have delayed a full reopening and we have eased the
border to allow for 30 100 people to come into Western Australia since 5
February, by air and by road, so that families can be reunited in a safe,
compassionate way, involving one week's quarantine and a testing
regime. This has avoided the state being swamped by COVID-19 whilst we continue
to get our third-dose vaccination rate up.
The third vaccination dose,
according to all the health advice, is very important to saving lives. We now
have some of the highest vaccination rates in the world. We have more than 98.5
per cent first dose for those aged 12-plus. People
said it could not be done. The Liberal Party said it could not be done. We have
done it. We have a 95 per cent second-dose rate, 12-plus. We are at a 52.3
per cent third-dose rate for 16-plus—the eligible population. These are
some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, which will put us in far
better stead than other states and other countries when we get much more
widespread virus infection and when we bring down interstate and, indeed,
international borders.
So, vaccination is one of the many
things that this government has done to prepare Western Australia for COVID. I thank
the overwhelming—and I mean overwhelming—majority of Western Australians
who have gone out and got vaccinated. They have listened to the medical advice
and done the right thing by themselves and their families.
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