Page 742 - Week 03 - Thursday, 2 April 2020
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That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I rise today to present the Public Health (Emergencies) Amendment Bill 2020 to the Legislative Assembly and update members on the actions taken by the ACT government to plan, prepare and protect the community from COVID-19.
I would, from the outset, like to recognise the collaborative engagement from all members of the Assembly during this emergency. My office, like all of our offices, is being contacted by many concerned members of the public looking for reassurance and support during this emergency.
Many in our community are feeling distressed, and at times overwhelmed, by what is happening to them, their families, their communities and the places they know overseas. The situation is developing rapidly across the country and around the world. I would like to assure the community that the ACT government is working hard to keep Canberrans safe during this difficult time.
We are working hard to communicate the latest information in a fast-moving environment. This bill reflects the fact that the extraordinary challenges facing our community and health services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be over next week or next month but will be with us for months to come.
We are facing a situation that has not been seen globally for 100 years and requires responses that have never before been considered by an ACT government. The public health and safety of Canberrans is the ACT government’s first priority. That is why I declared a public health emergency in the ACT on 16 March 2020 pursuant to section 119 of the Public Health Act 1997—hereafter, “the act”.
The declaration, made on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, was based on the public health risk to the ACT community posed by coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, which is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This is the first time a public health emergency has been declared in the ACT. It was not a decision that I or the government took lightly, and it reflects the gravity of the threat that COVID-19 represents.
We have seen the devastation of communities around the world whose hospital systems have been overwhelmed by this novel virus, for which there is no herd immunity, no vaccine and no cure beyond standard respiratory support. The decision to declare a public health emergency was consistent with the response of other jurisdictions and reflected the spirit of national unity that has continued through the unique national cabinet process.
Under section 120 of the act, the declaration of a public health emergency authorises the Chief Health Officer to “take any action or give any direction (orally or in writing), he or she considers to be necessary or desirable to alleviate the emergency specified in the declaration”.
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