Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr MERLINO (Monbulk—Minister for Education, Minister for Mental Health) (14:23): I rise to update the house on how the Andrews government is keeping school and early childhood staff, students and children safe during the global coronavirus pandemic. Throughout this global pandemic we have been guided by the public health experts. It is why we have already delivered more than 49 million rapid antigen tests to schools and early childhood settings, we have over 40 million masks rolling out to schools and early childhood, 111 000 air purifiers are to be in schools by winter, we have ventilation grants for early childhood settings and mandatory vaccination requirements are keeping staff, students and children safe, supported by an extensive vaccination program providing access and support to staff, parents, students and their communities.

The commonwealth and Victorian governments funded RATs for school and early childhood staff 50-50, reflecting that this pandemic was something faced by all Australians. And it is paying dividends. Burnet modelling estimates voluntary surveillance testing has prevented 113 500 infections throughout term 1, and that is precisely why I can announce to the house that surveillance testing will continue for the first four weeks of term 2. But last week we saw the Morrison government revert to type as it cut $1.5 billion from our COVID response here in Victoria. That means cuts to funding for RATs for school and early childhood staff, cuts to inreach vaccination in schools, cuts to pop-up vaccination. Nothing—$1.5 billion to zero. The pandemic is not over, yet what do we get from the federal government? Cuts. And what do we hear from those opposite about those cuts? Absolute silence. We will continue to support our schools and early childhood settings.