Labor has been playing pandemic-politics ever since the pandemic first started last year, but Rebecca White needs to clearly answer today - do they support our reopening plan on 15 December, or not?
Rather than complaining and creating fear, Labor should be encouraging people to get vaccinated.
The Tasmanian Government has been working hard to ensure our health system is prepared for a safe border reopening on December 15
We have held firm to ensure all Tasmanians over 12 years have had the opportunity to get vaccinated before easing border restrictions, and set the higher bar of 90 per cent vaccination.
In the recent NSW outbreak, 95 per cent of people with COVID-19 who became seriously ill and required hospitalisation were not fully vaccinated.
Vaccination is our best defence against COVID and will also help to ensure our hospitals are not under undue pressure.
The experience interstate and internationally is the majority of people who get COVID-19 will likely experience a mild illness and be able to be treated at home.
That’s why the Department of Health is finalising its Covid@Home model of care, which involves 2500 home pulse and oxygen monitoring.
A significant amount of work has however also been undertaken to ensure we are ready for the small percentage of COVID-19 positive people who will require hospitalisation. This includes 152 new beds and an additional 840 FTE employed since July last year, with further recruitment for new beds underway.
Our escalation plans provide a surge capacity of up to 211 COVID ward beds across the State and up to 114 ICU surge beds.
It’s also important to note that you cannot compare a busy ED environment to a pandemic environment, as presentation data from 2020 actually showed a drop in non-COVID presentations to the ED when the pandemic first started last year.
While Labor play politics, our priority remains the health and safety of Tasmanians and the best protection available right now is vaccination.
That’s why I encourage all Tasmanians who are eligible, but not yet vaccinated, to do so as soon as possible.