Tuesday, 17 March 2020

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (12:15): I rise to update the house further on the ongoing impact of COVID-19 right across Victoria. The World Health Organization has declared a global pandemic. The numbers are indeed overwhelming. In just a few short months we have 162 100 confirmed cases and tragically 6300 confirmed deaths. These figures have almost doubled since I last updated the house just two weeks ago. That is the nature of global pandemics. The mathematics is undeniable. We will see more and more patients and therefore more and more pressure on our health system unless we take quite dramatic steps, unprecedented steps, around distancing and doing everything we can possibly do to flatten that curve, to reduce the total number of people who become infected with the virus and to slow the pace at which new cases become apparent. It is very, very important. Otherwise we will simply have our health system overwhelmed, and that is not just a big problem for those who need critical care as a result of COVID-19.

Each day—each and every day—our critical care elements of our health system, our emergency departments all the way through to ICU beds, treat patients who have strokes, have heart attacks, need urgent cancer surgery, have motor vehicle accidents. The list goes on. For their sake and the sake of those who will become critically, gravely ill as a result of COVID-19 we are asking Victorians to do things they have never been asked to do before. This is unprecedented. This is unmatched. This is the biggest public health event that any of us have seen in our lifetime. Together though, with a plan and with hard work, we will come through this—of that I am certain. Victorians will show common sense, compassion and kindness. The government has a plan. The government is working hard, and with the help of Victorians we will get through this together.