Page 2605 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 21 September 2022
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antigen tests have been distributed at ACT testing centres. Collectively, Canberrans have quarantined more than 300,000 times. These numbers reflect the determination with which Canberrans took steps to keep themselves, their loved ones, and the community, safe.
They also reflect the truly remarkable effort of our public health officials and healthcare workers. I have spoken many times before about the outstanding contribution that Canberra’s nurses have made and continue to make to our COVID response and the protection of our community. We have seen our nurses go above and beyond over the past 2½ years. They have been vital to the running of our testing centres and vaccination clinics and to the maintenance of regular health system operations. We know that the whole health system has been impacted by COVID in myriad ways. So, to our doctors, midwives, pathologists, allied health professionals, paramedics, cleaners, security staff, wardspeople, administrators and everyone else who continued to keep our health system going through these busy and challenging times: thank you.
I would also like to acknowledge the effort of ACT Health Directorate staff. Since the beginning of the pandemic, ACT Health staff have provided monitoring and support to Canberrans during the more than 300,000 quarantine periods I mentioned earlier. Since 1 June 2021, more than one million SMSs and emails have been sent to people in quarantine, and since 1 November 2021 more than 1.5 million SMSs and emails have been sent to positive cases in isolation. The exemptions team processed just under 95,000 exemption applications. The vaccine booking team responded to almost 340,000 calls. And, of course, the digital solutions team developed the nation-leading Check In CBR app and kept the IT systems going, even when they were doing more than they were really designed for. This work has been essential to the ACT’s COVID response.
I would particularly like to acknowledge the ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman; her deputy, Dr Vanessa Johnston; and the Executive Branch Manager of the COVID-19 Policy and Support Services, Vanessa Dal Molin. Their expertise and professionalism have been the guiding lights for the government’s pandemic response, and I cannot thank them enough for their service to the Canberra community.
I am sure the Assembly will join me in extending thanks and appreciation to all the workers who have contributed and continue to contribute to the ACT’s public health response: the public health officials, hospital staff, pathology staff, contact tracers, COVID care and wellbeing teams, and so many more. I also want to acknowledge all the other ACT government and non-government workers who have had to respond, pivot, and pivot again, through the phases of the pandemic. Whether you are a teacher, or you work in child protection, drive a bus, build our essential infrastructure or staff our detention centres and high-risk settings, or you do one of the many more jobs that have felt the impact of COVID-19, thank you for your flexibility, resilience and commitment to the ACT community.
We are in a strong position to move to the new step-down phase of our COVID-19 response, thanks to the efforts of every Canberran. Whether by working on the front line or by being COVID-smart in their homes and out in the community, every Canberran has contributed to our COVID response, and that contribution has been
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