CORONAVIRUS — TESTING — REGIONAL
AREAS
302. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the testing of patients for COVID-19.
(1) How is the WA Country Health Service supporting
communities that do not have a local WACHS hospital or nursing post to
provide a testing service?
(2) What is
the average transportation time from each of the state's nine regions
to the PathWest laboratories?
(3) What is the average time for a result from a test once it
reaches the PathWest laboratory?
(4) How many
tests have been assessed from each of the state's nine regions and how
many are positive to date from each region, and could they please be broken
down by region?
(5) How many
tests have been undertaken in Aboriginal and remote communities and how many
are positive to date?
Hon ALANNA CLOHESY
replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question. I note that the information provided was accurate as of Tuesday, 31
March.
(1) The WA
Country Health Service has worked with our health partners to ensure that
COVID-19 tests are able to be undertaken at all Silver Chain remote area
nursing posts, Aboriginal medical services and the Royal Flying Doctor Service where it provides a clinical service and
when the patients meet the COVID-19 testing criteria.
(2) The
transportation time from each region varies day to day depending on a number of
factors. The information provided on average transport time is in tabular form,
set by region and average transport time, and I seek leave to have that
incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The
following material was incorporated —
|
Region
|
Average transportation
time
|
|
Kimberley
|
8 hours
|
|
Pilbara
|
9 hours
|
|
Goldfields
|
12 hours
|
|
Wheatbelt
|
8 hours
|
|
Great Southern
|
10 hours
|
|
South West
|
8 hours
|
|
Midwest
|
10 hours
|
(3) Turnaround
times for COVID-19 samples are up to 72 hours from when they are received in
the laboratory, with many factors influencing the turnaround time on a daily
basis. Currently, testing is being completed within 24 hours.
(4) Information
about regional testing numbers as at 12.30 pm on 31 March 2020 is in tabular
form, by region, total tests and number positive. I seek leave to have that
table incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted.
The following material was
incorporated —
|
Region
|
Total tests
|
Number positives
|
|
Kimberley
|
188
|
6
|
|
Pilbara
|
222
|
4
|
|
Goldfields
|
153
|
3
|
|
Wheatbelt
|
213
|
4
|
|
Great Southern
|
226
|
7
|
|
South West
|
757
|
8
|
|
Midwest
|
261
|
2
|
|
Total
|
2020
|
34
|
(5) PathWest
testing data is reported by region, and Aboriginal and remote communities are
included in these numbers.