Thursday, 19 March 2020

Ministers statements: COVID-19

Mr FOLEY (Albert Park—Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Equality, Minister for Creative Industries) (11:14): I rise to add to the Premier’s comments about what this government is doing to make sure that our health system copes and deals with this unprecedented threat that COVID-19 has unleashed on the globe and particularly this state. Around the globe communities are grappling with how to keep normality and delivery of services in the face of unprecedented issues of stress on the health system. We are asking people to change how they behave to make sure that we flatten the curve to keep our hospital system operating. This is the biggest health challenge that we will face in our lifetimes. Make no mistake, the next few weeks and months will be tough for everyone, but our efforts are now designed to give our health system the best possible chance to cope with the surge in demand when this pandemic hits its peak.

So in addition to what the Premier has outlined already on the $437 million hospital package announced this morning, all designed to boost capacity so we can meet that peak in forecast demand, I just want to add a few more updates. There have been now 149 cases of COVID-19 reported in Victoria, an additional 28 confirmed since I was here 24 hours ago. It is essential that we do all we can to limit that pandemic’s growth. That is why the $37 million component in today’s announcement goes to containment activities to test, track and contain the virus. A further $24 million is for epidemiological surveillance right across the state—a proposal supported by my friend the member for Brunswick in conversations we had this morning—and there are arrangements to make sure that $24 million tracks people with these infections. With the indulgence of the house, a further 15 000 people will be tested across Victoria as a result of that effort.