Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 207 asked in the Legislative Council on 22 March 2022 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — ESPERANCE

207. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Health:

I refer to the minister's response to question without notice 179, asked on 17 March 2022.

(1) In respect of contact tracing in Esperance, can the minister please define what is meant by ''where appropriate''?

(2) Does the Department of Health currently publish all exposure sites for —

(a) metropolitan locations; and

(b) regional locations?

(3) If no to either (a) or (b), in what circumstances would they not be published?

(4) Is the minister aware that the Shire of Esperance was advised by the Department of Health on 8 March 2022 that due to the high COVID case load within the WA community, the department is unable to keep up with contact tracing and will not be releasing exposure sites?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) In the very high case load environment, in many circumstances, WA Health requests—by call, SMS, email, or in person—that each of these cases undertakes their own contact tracing process and informs each of their close contacts. Resources are provided to enable the case to do so. For specific high-risk settings, WA Health maintains a greater role in contact tracing procedures—for example, in residential aged-care facilities.

(2) (a) No.

(b) No.

(3) In metropolitan Perth, exposure sites are not listed publicly if they are not considered high risk—that is, they are not sites of confirmed COVID-19 transmission. In regional areas, exposure sites will not be listed if the nature of duration of exposure within the venue would not result in any individuals being considered close contacts. Furthermore, sites will not be listed if all contacts are identifiable through other means, or if listing the site would breach confidential information, such as a private household address.

(4) The Minister for Health is aware that the department is taking a practical approach to contact tracing by requesting that individuals undertake their own contact tracing activities where practicable. For specific high-risk settings, WA Health maintains a greater role in contact tracing procedures—for example, in residential care facilities.