Page 227 - Week 01 - Thursday, 13 February 2020
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were distributed through the Early Morning Centre and the Community Services Directorate’s other community partners. Housing ACT, in particular, distributed masks to its tenants and clients in the homelessness sector who were most in need.
Following the release of the P2/N95 masks from the commonwealth stockpile, which I absolutely acknowledge, on 6 January it was announced that P2/N95 masks were being delivered to pharmacies and would be available for people who were most at risk from health impacts from exposure to smoke, from 7 January. Masks were also made available through Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services for its clients.
The groups of particularly sensitive individuals who were able to access these masks if they chose included people with existing chronic lung and heart conditions, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or emphysema and heart disease; pregnant women; and people over 65 years of age. Each eligible person was able to receive two masks at a pharmacy, recognising the limited time masks can be used at any one time and that they need to be replaced.
To manage the distribution of these masks, the ACT Health Directorate worked in partnership with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society. I would like to again take the opportunity to thank them for their contribution and partnership. I also again thank community pharmacies for the great work they did, not just in distributing masks but in informing their consumers about the potential health impacts of smoke, what best to do, and how to use P2/N95 masks—and in some cases how not to use them.
The Community Services Directorate also worked with community and grassroots organisations that helped to assist our most in need residents. There are definitely opportunities to learn from this experience and to ensure that, if and when this happens again, we are ready to again protect the health of those who are most vulnerable in our community. The ACT government also worked with commercial providers to monitor the availability of masks in retail stores.
The provision of health advice throughout this crisis has been difficult, because the short-term impacts on individuals are so variable. I have spoken with people who have asthma who have reported no more impact on them from the smoke event than anyone else: the itchy, dry eyes and the scratchy throat that Mrs Dunne has referred to and the fatigue that is associated with the impact of smoke. At the same time, people who have never experienced respiratory problems before have said that they have developed persistent coughs or have had breathing issues and difficulties.
In that context, providing consistent health advice is difficult. The health advice provided by the health protection service to the community was that it was best to avoid exposure to the smoke through staying indoors where possible and not using evaporative air conditioners, which draw air into the house from outside. They provided evidence to the community about P2/N95 masks, which filter some smoke. They are most commonly used in occupational settings where exposure to airborne particles occurs on a regular basis. However, they were very clear with the community that these masks cannot completely eliminate exposure to smoke and that they can be
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