CORONAVIRUS — ISOLATION PERIOD
732. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer the minister to reports in The
West Australian over the weekend suggesting that three million working days
were lost across Australia in the first six months of this year due to COVID
isolation requirements.
(1) Are figures
available for the number of isolation days lost across the workforce in Western
Australia; and, if so, will the minister please provide them for the year to
date?
(2) Has the government received any advice that would
agree with the views expressed by Dr Nick Coatsworth, the former Chief Medical Officer, who argues that
seven days of isolation should now be considered excessive?
(3) Does the
government have any plans to review isolation times in WA, either on its own or
in conjunction with other states and territories?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) COVID-19
isolation periods have formed an important part of keeping Western Australians
safe from COVID-19. The Minister for Health regularly takes advice from the
state's Chief Health Officer regarding elements of the state government's response to the COVID-19
pandemic. Decisions regarding COVID-19 isolation periods are a matter for
national cabinet.