Page 4028 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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The Chief Health Officer has provided me with her 20th report on the status of the public health emergency due to COVID-19, which I now table. This report outlines the actions taken by the Chief Health Officer and ACT Health’s COVID-19 response in the 30 days to 7 November 2021. The report also recommended that the public health emergency declaration, which was due to expire on, I think, 14 November 2021, be extended for a further 90 days. The government recognises the ACT is in a very good position on the ongoing response to COVID-19 due to our high vaccination coverage and low daily case numbers.
However, as the Chief Health Officer has identified in her report, COVID-19 still poses a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of our community, particularly as our domestic and international borders have reopened and there is a higher chance of cases seeding with more people travelling to and from the territory. Due to the continued public health risk at this time, the government accepted the Chief Health Officer’s recommendation to extend the public health emergency. The Public Health (Emergency) Declaration Further Extension 2021 (No 4) was notified on 12 November and extends the public health emergency for a further 90 days until 12 February 2022.
In doing so, the government recognises that the need for the public health emergency is likely to be much less in the new year, which is why I will shortly be introducing, along with the Chief Minister, the Public Health Amendment Bill 2021 (No 2) into the Assembly to establish appropriate medium-term measures that will protect the community from COVID-19 without a public health emergency declaration in place.
Madam Speaker, the ACT’s COVID-19 response has been incredibly effective over more than 18 months. This is in large part due to the incredible healthcare and frontline workers who have facilitated the delivery of essential services across the territory right from the start of the pandemic, and as we responded to the local outbreak in August.
On behalf of the government, I acknowledge the work of all of the essential workers and volunteers across Canberra and I thank them for their tireless efforts in supporting our community throughout 2021. Many of us have relied on the goods and services delivered by these hardworking Canberrans and I know that we would not be in the strong health and economic position if it was not for them.
Going into the new year, the government will be focused on our COVID-19 recovery plan and supporting our economy to ensure that it is stronger than ever. Our COVID-19 public health response will continue, along with our vaccination and booster program, to ensure Canberrans that have the best protection against the virus. I remind Canberrans to remain COVID-safe over the holiday period, and I hope everyone gets to spend time with their family and loved ones. I present the following papers:
Status of the Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19—Chief Health Officer Report 20—7 November 2021, dated 7 November 2021.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)—ACT Government response—Ministerial statement, 2 December 2021.
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