Page 1040 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 May 2020
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me for consideration once the advice of the Standing Committee on Screening recommendation is known and the results of the NSW SCID pilot study are available.
Motion to take note of petition response
MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to standing order 98A, I propose the question:
That the response so lodged be noted.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
COVID-19 pandemic response—update
Ministerial statement
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Children, Youth and Families and Minister for Health) (10.04): I rise today to update the Assembly on the current status of COVID-19 in the ACT and the measures put in place by the government to prepare and protect the community.
I am happy to advise you all that, as of 20 May 2020, there continue to be no active cases of COVID-19 in the ACT. This means that there remains a total of 107 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the ACT, with three lives, sadly, lost.
Since the start of the pandemic, Canberrans have played their role in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our community by staying at home as much as possible, avoiding non-essential travel, practising good hand and cough hygiene, and seeking testing if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. We remain in a good position because of the community’s cooperation and support.
The government understands that the decisions taken to protect the health of our community, at the local level, through national cabinet and by the commonwealth government, have been difficult for many. We know there continues to be a range of views in the community on these matters. As we have seen around the world, reaching unanimous agreement on any aspect of the pandemic response is not a realistic goal. But we have based our decisions to date on expert health advice and evidence, and we will continue to do so.
As members know, I declared a public health emergency on 16 March 2020, which has been extended until 7 July 2020. The ACT’s public health response has followed the recommendations of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the agreed approach of the national cabinet.
Yesterday I received a formal report from the Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, on the status of the public health emergency due to COVID-19, which I will table at the end of this statement. As Dr Coleman has advised, there are still active cases of the novel coronavirus across Australia. Each day, some jurisdictions report new cases, highlighting the need to continue to plan for outbreaks, particularly in
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