Page 1235 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
as well as acknowledging the incredible efforts of all of our own staff at our clinics and behind the scenes to facilitate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations in the territory.
I encourage Canberrans to visit the ACT Health website at www.covid19.act.gov.au to find out more about the vaccination rollout in the ACT and check when they are eligible to book their appointment.
In line with the ACT’s positive situation, the ACT is continuing to operate under “COVID normal” restrictions. Our cautious approach to the easing of restrictions throughout the pandemic has enabled us to remain in a strong position while also helping ACT businesses and the community to continue to move forward.
I am pleased to see business and community support for the Check In CBR app. This measure is vitally important in our efforts to keep businesses and venues open with increased capacity, while ensuring ACT Health can quickly and accurately conduct contact tracing should there be a new COVID-19 case reported in the ACT. As of 9 May, there have been more than 12 million check-ins using the Check In CBR app, with more than 10,000 venues registered and over 650,000 downloads of the app since its launch.
We know that the live music and performing arts sectors have been especially impacted by the pandemic, so we have updated the COVID safe event protocol advising live music performance venues on how to safely host live music events and seek an exemption for larger audiences. This includes the possibility for live music performance venues to increase capacity for ticketed events to up to three persons per four square metres of usable space by submitting an online event exemption form which must be approved by ACT Health. We are aware that the same venues often host other types of live performances. The Chief Health Officer is currently considering what a next stage of restrictions easing may look like for these venues and more broadly, noting that there will still be a requirement to maintain a level of restriction for certain businesses and activities.
With the latest easing of restrictions comes an increase in responsibility. It is essential that businesses and the wider ACT community continue to follow COVID safe practices, including staying home if unwell and getting tested with even the mildest of symptoms, practising good hand and respiratory hygiene, and checking in with the Check In CBR app for contact tracing purposes. This is especially important given the recent community cases detected in New South Wales.
We only need to look beyond Australia’s shores to see that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have dire impacts on many countries, regions and communities abroad that are grappling to control its spread. We are fortunate in the ACT and across Australia to be in the position we are in, which is testament to our response and to the community’s united efforts to stop the spread. But with the situation continuing to evolve and the risk still high, the ACT government needs to be able to respond by implementing and enforcing public health directions to protect Canberrans.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video