Month: August 2020

172,000 tourism businesses across Australia are just two weeks away from going bust, the Covid19 Senate Committee has heard today, prompting the Greens to call on National Cabinet to come up with an urgent plan for the tourism industry including a cash injection and national approach to border restrictions.
Greens Spokesperson for Tourism Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The tourism industry urgently needs a national plan to save businesses on the brink of bust. Tens of thousands of tourism businesses will be lost in coming weeks without cash flow assistance and clarity on border restriction policies.
“National Cabinet needs to be working on a national tourism plan that factors in industry needs, health advice and the best interests of the country. Instead state, territory and federal leaders are politicking over border restrictions and the intent of National Cabinet is unravelling.
“The Covid Senate Committee heard today that two and a half months ago, ABS data showed 57 per cent of tourism businesses didn’t have the cash flow to last three months which means right now businesses are on their last dollars and deciding whether they need to close their doors for good.
“Without a plan to save the tourism industry, 172,000 businesses are at risk of going under within two weeks.
“National Cabinet should’ve been addressing this looming crisis months ago and yet to date, very little assistance has been given to an industry absolutely pummelled by travel and border restrictions.
“Australians are sick of the state versus state politicking. Businesses, jobs and people’s health is on the line and if we are really in it together there should be a national approach to tackling this pandemic.”

New modelling confirms the vital importance of continuing support and resources provided to remote communities to protect them from COVID-19.
Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islander people experience a burden of disease 2.3 times the rate of other Australians, which increases their risk of severe illness from the virus.
While no cases of the coronavirus have yet been reported among Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities, the modelling shows that continuing efforts are needed to limit the effects of an outbreak.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said the Australian Government is taking the necessary actions to ensure all Australians are safe, protected and have access to appropriate health care now and beyond the COVID-19.
“Travel restrictions to remote areas were imposed by a determination I made early in the pandemic, following requests from Aboriginal communities, organisations and leaders. These restrictions can be reinstated if needed.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt said the Australian Government has also worked with the Indigenous health sector to ensure communities are prepared.
“The Australian Government places a high priority on protecting the health of Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islander people during the pandemic,” Minister Wyatt said.
“This includes provision of point of care COVID-19 tests which can provide results within an hour, funding for community preparedness, guidance and public health advice and arrangements for medical evacuations and ongoing care, including deployment of the Royal Flying Doctors Service where needed.”
The modelling released today reinforces the importance of these preparations and of engaging with remote communities about how they will respond and the support available to them.
It shows that by the time one case of coronavirus is confirmed in a remote community, many
more people may have been infected.
Minister Hunt said, “This means a single confirmed case of COVID-19 should be treated as
an outbreak, triggering a rapid response by local, state or territory and national governments.
This would include isolation of patients, quarantine of contacts and possible whole of
community lockdown.”
The modelling also highlights the need for all people to get tested if they have even mild
symptoms, because finding the first case quickly will be key to stopping the spread.
Australian Government measures to support remote communities include:
targeted flexible grants to 56 community organisations covering 121 remote
communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services and local
health clinics, to support planning and preparedness activities:

• $52.8 million for early retrieval and evacuation of confirmed or suspect cases by the Royal Flying Doctors Service, mobile respiratory clinics and supplementary health services in remote locations;
• $5.8 million for the Point of Care Testing program, now in the final stages of rollout to 85 remote and rural communities, which ensures that testing is available within two a two to three hours’ drive from any health service;
• $6.9 million to facilitate culturally safe access to COVID-19 testing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector (ACCHS). Further, as part of the Government’s GP Respiratory Clinic package, 23 ACCHS will be operate as respiratory clinics, with 14 of these in rural areas.

The importance of these actions, and the lessons from the modelling are all reflected in the Management Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Populations that has been
guiding the response since March, and the updated National Guidance for remote Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Communities for COVID-19.
The modelling was conducted for the Australian Government by the University of Melbourne
and the Kirby Institute pandemic modelling team, guided by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 and endorsed for release by the Australian Health
Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
Modelling results can be found here:

• Information sheet for public health professionals: COVID-19 testing and response strategies in regional and remote Indigenous communities: key messages for health services
• Plain language presentation to facilitate community-level planning: Impact of COVID-19 in remote and regional settings.

The Morrison Government will scale up aged care support programs in Victoria and across Australia with an additional $171.5 million to boost a new COVID-19 response plan agreed by all states and territories at National Cabinet today.
The package is in addition to age care support already announced during the COVID-19 pandemic, with funding now totalling more than $1 billion from the Commonwealth Government.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more funding would be used to continue current programs for infection control training and surge workforce staff, alongside greater compliance by the Aged Care Commissioner and coordinated response centres.
“Our plan for combatting the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic is based on the best medical advice and continues to evolve, as the crisis continues, as we do all we can to protect older Australians,” the Prime Minister said.
“We are committed to supporting aged care recipients, workers and providers in Victoria to respond to the ongoing crisis and we are putting in place critical measures to ensure we remain prepared across the country.
“It is critical to have a coordinated approach as we battle this virus and I thank all Premiers and Chief Ministers for their agreement at National Cabinet today, which does just that.
“However, as long as community transmission is occurring in Australia, we will continue to face significant challenges in aged care but we will do everything we can to stop the spread and protect old Australians.”
The package includes:

• More support for the Aged Care workforce:
  • $81 million for additional surge workforce and increased training for aged care workers.
  • $8.4 million for supplementary payments to include quarantine costs and interstate staff
  • $50 million to account for additional demand for retention bonus measures, (noting eligibility has not changed)
• $9.1 million for the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, established with the Victorian Government, to boost their additional workforce while undergoing more training, providing a workforce that could quickly respond to outbreaks in other states;
• $12. 5 million to support residents and their families with increased availability of grief and trauma support services to assist aged care residents and their families who have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak
• Supporting more compliance and quality checks on aged care providers by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, checking on preparations and responses to COVID-19 outbreaks.

To step up this engagement, National Cabinet has endorsed a plan to boost aged care preparedness for rapid emergency response to COVID-19.
States and territories each agreed a plan to set up aged care emergency response operations centres in their own jurisdiction, as needed.
The operations centres will be formed by mutual agreement between the Commonwealth, states and territories, which will fully integrated with public health and aged care emergency response arrangements
To support continued Commonwealth, state and territory collaboration, a time-limited AHPPC Aged Care Advisory Group will also be established, bringing together a broad range of critical expertise about the aged care sector, infection control and emergency preparedness.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was imperative that the Government adopt a multi-pronged approach to respond to the pandemic in aged care, which was bearing the brunt of the pandemic.
“Our comprehensive action will provide assurance to residents, families aged care providers, and the Australian community. This builds on our national aged care COVID-19 response plan which commenced in January,” Minister Hunt said.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said communication and support for residents and their families and loved ones is essential at this difficult time.
“We are also providing $1.5 million in funding to ensure appropriate and regular communication from Health Direct to families and loved ones of aged care residents impacted by COVID-19,” Minister Colbeck said.
“We are also increasing the availability of grief and trauma support services to assist aged care residents and their families.”
It is critical that quality care is maintained in all aged care services across the country, Minister Colbeck said.
“We are further supporting the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to continue its critical work supporting aged care providers across the country to prepare for and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks with additional $9.1 million in vital funding.”

An independent review of one of Australia’s key rural training programs shows it is providing significant opportunities and a rewarding experience for health students in rural communities.
The evaluation of the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) showed the program has successfully supported rural clinical training experiences for students across a range of health disciplines for the past 20 years.
Federal Regional Health Minister Mark Coulton said the RHMT program plays a key role in supporting health students to train, work and stay in rural and remote locations.
“We know greater exposure to rural training opportunities leads to more doctors and health professionals choosing rural careers and the RHMT program is a critical to achieving this,” Minister Coulton said.
“The evaluation found the program is of significant educational value, provides students with rewarding experiences in rural communities and is an important contributor to addressing rural health workforce shortages across Australia.
“The review also demonstrates the capacity of universities to provide students with high quality clinical rural training opportunities.
“Whether you are training to become a doctor, nurse, dentist, physiotherapist or psychologist, we want our future front line of health professionals to feel well supported and embrace careers in rural healthcare.
“Regional and rural communities also benefit from the investment the Commonwealth makes in this rural training program including from greater access to health services and facilities, rural health research and the multiple benefits that a university presence delivers for local jobs.”
Minister Coulton said the review also shows the program supports the social and economic strength of rural communities. For every dollar spent under the program, another dollar is generated in the local economy.
“This evaluation reaffirms the value of the RHMT program to increase the number of health professionals working in the bush. It is important that Australian Government investment is well-targeted and future-proofed,” Minister Coulton said.
“The Federal Government is committed to bridging the city-country divide in health services; and this program is a demonstration of that commitment to support the training of health and medical students in rural, remote and regional Australia as an initial step towards a rural health career.
“The National Rural Health Commissioner Associate Professor Ruth Stewart will now assist the Government to consult with stakeholders on the evaluation’s recommendations and provide input into how the program can be further enhanced.
“I’m looking forward to hearing from the sector about how we can further strengthen and develop rural training opportunities to keep building this important program for the future.”
BACKGROUND:

• The Australian Government invests $200 million each year in a network of rural clinical schools (RCSs), university departments of rural health (UDRHs), dental faculties offering rural placements and the Northern Territory Medical Program at Flinders University.
• The program also supports 26 regional training hubs, with 21 universities currently participating in the program.
• University staff living and working in regional, rural and remote areas deliver the rural clinical training experiences to health students and encourage them to stay in these communities when they finish their training.
• KBC Australia’s final report on the evaluation of the RHMT program has been released and can be found on the website.