National Cabinet changes Covid testing rules and procedures
- Written by Scott Morrison
National Cabinet met today to discuss our response to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, new approaches to test, trace, isolate and quarantine and the vaccine rollout and booster program.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 362,690 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 2,226 people have died.
Globally there have been over 284.4 million cases and sadly over 5.4 million deaths, with 1,672,631 new cases and 7,752 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
The Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on the spread of the Omicron variant. Omicron case numbers continue to increase in Australia and globally. Omicron continues to show greater infectivity than the Delta variant, but with less severity. Professor Kelly noted that a recent study from South Africa have confirmed a 73 per cent reduction in severity of disease with Omicron compared with Delta.
Total active cases in Australia have reached over 110,000 cases. However hospitalisation, ICU and ventilation case numbers remain low and within anticipated capacity. There were 1,481 cases in hospital, 122 cases in ICU with 51 of those requiring ventilation. These numbers are remaining relatively constant. The majority of cases in ICU and requiring ventilation continue to be amongst people who are unvaccinated.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand. To date 42.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 148,974 in the previous 24 hours.
More than 94 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 98 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 99 per cent of over 70 year olds. More than 91 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated, including more than 96 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 99 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.
Over 2.3 million booster doses have been administered. Australia has sufficient supplies of boosters, with over 20 million mRNA vaccines in stock. Yesterday over 112,000 boosters were administered across Australia. Over 57 per cent of those eligible for boosters have had a booster and almost 25 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over have had a booster in the last 7 weeks since the booster program commenced.
National Cabinet will meet again on 5 January 2022.
New approach to Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine Arrangements (TTIQ) in the context of high levels of COVID-19 community transmission
National Cabinet has agreed to Australian Health Protection Principals Committee (AHPPC) advice to reset TTIQ in the context of high case numbers and the Omicron variant, so that Australians can continue to live with COVID-19.
The revised approach is complementary to the importance of vaccinations including boosters and existing public health and social measures.
Specifically, National Cabinet agreed to revised definitions for who is a close contact, how they are isolated and testing arrangements.
Close Contacts
National Cabinet agreed that close contacts will be defined as household or household-like contacts of a confirmed case. Close contacts will be defined, except in exceptional circumstances, as those who usually live with or who have stayed in the same household for more than 4 hours as a case during their infectious period.
Testing and Isolation requirements for close contacts and COVID cases
National Cabinet agreed that:
- * The isolation period for COVID-19 cases will be standardised regardless of vaccination status to a length of 7 days from the date of their positive test.
- * Household contacts or household-like contacts, except in exceptional circumstances, must quarantine for 7 days after last exposure to a case regardless of vaccination status and then, subject to a negative Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on day 6, monitor for symptoms for a further 7 days and repeat testing if symptoms occur.
- * Other contacts who have been potentially exposed to a case but who are at lower risk of infection must monitor for symptoms and only need to have a RAT or PCR test if symptoms occur.
- * All contacts should wear a mask when outside home, monitor symptoms and avoid visiting high risk settings for 14 days following exposure to reduce their risk of transmission to others.
- * If RATs are positive, these should be followed by a PCR test to confirm the diagnosis, allow notification and to link individuals into social and medical support. PCR tests are the preferred test for symptomatic individuals.
Close contact arrangements will commence in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia from 12.01 am 31 December 2021.
South Australia will continue with a 10 day quarantine period for cases and close contacts.
Tasmania will commence arrangements from 1 January 2022.
Western Australia and the Northern Territory will advise on the start date for new arrangements.
National Cabinet noted that, consistent with their roadmaps, Queensland and Tasmania are transitioning to RAT requirements prior to travel to those states. The Northern Territory will continue with PCR testing for travel at this stage, given current low caseloads. Western Australia will transition out of PCR testing for travel in coming days, and rely on arrival testing and appropriate quarantine under their border controls.
PCR tests will continue to be available at existing state, territory and Commonwealth testing centres, with RATs increasingly being utilised over coming weeks. Such tests will only be provided to those who are close contacts or symptomatic.
National Cabinet will continue to work on arrangements to provide RAT tests to vulnerable cohorts such as remote Indigenous communities as well as in school settings and exceptional circumstances.
International arrivals will be able to undertake a RAT in Australia.
In all other cases, RAT tests will be procured by individuals privately at their own cost – they will not be provided by Governments, thereby providing certainty to retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.
The Commonwealth, states and territories will work on concessional arrangements for low income and concession card holders for self-administered RATs.
In certain critical occupations where an exposure occurs, arrangements for management of contacts can be further modified to allow business continuity, subject to a thorough risk assessment process. Further work is underway on arrangements for health and aged care settings, with AHPPC to provide further advice for next week’s National Cabinet meeting.
UNOFFICIAL
The Hon. Scott Morrison MP
Prime Minister
TRANSCRIPT
PRESS CONFERENCE
CANBERRA, ACT
THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER 2021
EO&E…
PRIME MINISTER: I said yesterday, Omicron requires us to undertake a gear change of how we’re managing the pandemic. We need to reset how we think about the pandemic, and how we manage ourselves and the things we need to do as governments. Omicron is a game changer. It’s been in the country for just over a month. We’ve taken the careful time to ensure that we’re understanding it as best we can, and examining the impact on our hospital system to ensure we’re recalibrating in the right way so Australia can continue to live with this virus. That is our objective. With a population that has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, an economy that is performing more strongly than most advanced economies in the world through COVID, and one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, it’s important that we stay on that track and we do so by understanding each variant and then adjusting how we respond to that, and that’s what we’ve done today in coming together as a National Cabinet.
Today, we have agreed a very practical way forward to dealing with the realities of Omicron. It also recognises, as always, that all states and territories have largely different situations on the ground. But they largely fall into two camps - those that have very low cases at the moment and aren't suffering the volume challenges that are presented by Omicron. Western Australia is an obvious case in those circumstances. And also, are not suffering from the significant furloughing or isolating of workforce that is shutting down economies. Again, that’s not happening in Western Australia, but it is significantly happening in the eastern states. So, together, we found a way forward.
There is increasing evidence of reduced severity of Omicron, which is welcome news, and I will ask the Chief Medical Officer Professor Kelly to take you through that. And of course, joined by General Frewen, who will take you through the latest status when it comes to the vaccination program. There is increasing evidence of reduced severity of the Omicron variant. And today there are 1,481 cases, individuals, who are in hospital, there are 122 who are in ICU, and there are 51 who are on ventilators, actually less than the number I mentioned to you yesterday. We are seeing that the severity of this illness, the impact, particularly on those who are in hospital, in the most extreme illness situations, is remaining relatively constant, and that’s an experience we’re seeing in other countries as well. There are, though, the higher number of cases that we’re seeing, and we will continue to see. That is the nature of Omicron. It replicates itself very, very quickly. That means we need to change who is a close contact, how they are isolated, and how their testing is managed.
So today we agreed a new definition of close contact that requires testing and isolation. It will come into effect in five jurisdictions at midnight tonight. It will come into effect in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and here in the ACT. Tasmania will follow on the 1st of January, and the Northern Territory and Western Australia will be making announcements, particularly the Northern Territory, in the next few days to confirm how they will be moving to these new definitions. As I said, in Western Australia, it's a very different situation. Their arrangements at present can deal with the volumes with their testing and tracing because they have so few cases there. But we all understand that at some point that will change, and right across all states and territories there was an agreement that this is the place that close contacts ultimately will have to be defined, especially when you're dealing with high numbers of cases. So we can expect those other jurisdictions to move to that definition when it gets to that point.
And the definition for a close contact is as follows, very similar to what I said to you yesterday: Except in exceptional circumstances, a close contact is a household contact or household-like of a confirmed case only. A household contact is someone who lives with a case or has spent more than four hours with them in a house, accommodation or care facility setting. So you're only a close contact if you are effectively living with someone or been in an accommodation setting with someone, more than four hours, with someone who has actually got COVID, not someone who was in contact with someone who's had COVID. It's with someone specifically who has COVID.
Now, a confirmed case would isolate for seven days from the date. So someone who actually has COVID, from the date that they took the test, they would have to isolate for seven days and have a negative RAT test - a rapid antigen test - on day six, prior to being able to leave isolation after seven days. A close contact that is symptomatic must have a PCR test still. So if you're symptomatic, and that goes for anyone who is symptomatic, by the way, if you’re symptomatic, then the right test is a PCR test. A close contact who is asymptomatic, doesn't have symptoms, must have a rapid antigen test, and if positive, they must then have a PCR test. And in that case, they become a confirmed case and the rules that apply to confirmed cases apply to them.
Now, close contacts that return a negative test, they must remain isolated for those seven days because symptoms and other things can present later, and that is seven days from their date of exposure to the person who was a confirmed case. And they also will have a rapid antigen test on day six.
So, to summarise, if you are a confirmed case, seven days. On the sixth day, you have a rapid antigen test, and if that's [negative] after seven days, you can go back into the community. If you're a close contact, you get a rapid antigen test. If that returns a negative, you still remain in isolation for those seven days and you have a rapid antigen test again on day six. If you're a close contact and you're symptomatic, go and get a PCR test. If you're a close contact that returns a positive RAT test, go and get a PCR test.
Now what this does is significantly changes those who need to be going and getting in queues. Now particularly because this comes into effect at midnight tonight in five states and territories, if you don't fulfil this definition of a close contact, then there is no need for you to be in that line. You should go home, go to the beach, go and do what you want to do, read a park, read a book in the park. Follow all the normal common sense things that you would do. Monitor your symptoms. Follow the COVID safe practices. Make sure you've booked in for your booster. Do all of those sorts of things. But there's no need for you to be in that line. The people we need in that line are people who need a PCR test.
Now we will transfer over the next few weeks from PCR to these rapid antigen tests with at the state testing centres over the next couple of weeks. Larger states will be moving to get those rapid antigen tests to those testing centres as soon as they can, and that will happen over the next few days and next few weeks. So if you turn up at those testing centres, for all the reasons that I've set out, then you will either get a rapid antigen test or a PCR test. If you're eligible for a rapid antigen test and there's ones there at that time, you'll be given one of those. You'll go home, you'll take it and follow those rules. If there isn't a rapid antigen test there, then we will still give you a PCR test in the transition.
Now, if everyone else who doesn't need to be there gets out of the line, then that means we can get to those who need to have those PCR tests as quickly as possible. This should significantly, we hope, over the next few weeks, greatly reduce the volume of people who are having these PCR tests, which means we'll be able to increase the turnaround time of these tests, getting the results back to those who need to take them. In addition to that, it will also free up, we hope, a lot more workforce that is currently being focused on these tests to be able to be supporting the other priorities for managing the pandemic, in particular the boosting clinics and centres for administering the vaccines.
Those who don't need, if you're anything other than a close contact or, and you're not symptomatic, you don't need to go and get a test. Now I know this is a bit different to what you've been hearing over the last couple of years. That's the gear change. That's the reset. That's what we need people to really understand. And I know it's a change from what has been said, but dealing with Delta is very different to dealing with Omicron, and to ensure that our public health systems work as effectively to keep as many people safe as possible, that's why we need to make this change. So you don't have to go and get a rapid antigen test if you just happen to walk past or go in and get takeaway or even be at a restaurant or a pub, you still need to check in because you want to monitor your systems [sic]. Anyone else who would like to get a rapid antigen test, well, you go along to your pharmacy or to the supermarket or the the warehouse, a whole, big suppliers, where we believe, as a result of making this change and being very clear about who is being provided with a public test and who is not, all the private industry who gave us that advice this week, they can go now, they can book their supplies, they can get them on the shelves and not have any concern that somehow a new policy will come in and tests will be be handed out to anybody who wants one. It was agreed today that will not be the policy in Australia. Rapid antigen tests will be provided publicly at those testing centres for those who require one, according to the rules that I have set down, and we've taken out of National Cabinet today.
We are also looking at a number of other specific areas where we’d be involved in providing. We already do it in aged care settings. We already do it in health care settings. That's done directly by the Government. You'd expect that to continue.
In addition to that, we are looking at vulnerable groups of people, particularly Indigenous populations, especially in remote areas. We're also looking at how this will be done in schools. And so there will continue to be a role for public provision in these circumstances. Where possible, particularly for vulnerable groups, we would seek to do those through the pharmacy network and through the private network, and that would be done through a registration system, similar to how we manage things like the PBS and things of that nature, which pharmacy is very used to dealing with. But for all other casual uses, you just think you'd like to get a test or something like that, well, that's what the private market is for. And with this certainty, knowing that they're the customers that the private market will have, then we believe, based on the advice we've had from the industry, they can go and they can make those plans and we can get them back on the shelves and we can get on with it. So that was the issue for rapid antigen tests.
There will be further work done now on the furlough requirements, the isolation requirements, for those who are working in the essential health workforce - so in aged care settings and hospital settings. There are, we think, even more effective ways we can keep more people at work to support the health system and the medical expert panel, the AHPPC, will continue to do work and bring back further recommendations on that issue next week to National Cabinet, when we're meeting on Wednesday, which we'd already set as a National Cabinet meeting date.
In addition, we'll be looking at the issue of concessional access in the private market to rapid antigen tests, working with the states and territories on that issue. And we have submissions coming forward on that, which we’ll work through over the course of the next week.
On securing the supplies of rapid antigen tests, states and territories, as I said, have their responsibilities. That was actually agreed at National Cabinet back at the beginning of November. They're responsible for the rapid antigen tests that are being distributed in their testing centres. The Commonwealth looks after aged care and a number of high-risk settings. We’ll continue to do that. Significant orders are being placed. Stocks are on the water on their way here to a number of the states, and including the Federal Government. So it’s very clear who has to do what in getting the tests. We’ll work, particularly as a Commonwealth, with some of the smaller states and territories, using our own stockpile where necessary. And it's likely that some of those states may team up with one of the larger states who are placing those big orders.
On travel, there are no major changes to that other than what you already know, and that is, in in both Tasmania and in in Queensland, they have already set out how they are moving to eventually get to, to dispense completely with requirement for a test before travel. In Queensland, they've already announced that, I believe it, on the 1st of January, they will only be seeking a rapid antigen test, and ultimately when they hit 90 per cent, which they don't expect to be too far away, there will be no requirement for a test to go into Queensland at all. Tasmania is on a similar pathway and the Tasmanian Premier can add further to that about the timetable. Western Australia also acknowledged today that ultimately that's the pathway as well. But for now, they are remaining with PCR tests. But they are working, particularly with the states on the east coast, to try and relieve that pressure on the testing facilities on the east coast by moving to rapid antigen tests. And the Premier will make his announcement on those issues once they’re settled.
So, as you can see, a great deal of cooperation today to just deal with what are some very practical problems that result from Omicron. Lots of volume. So we need to recalibrate, reset, get these clear rules in place. I want to thank all the premiers and chief ministers for the constructive way we got round the table and got this done today. We took on the advice that had come from, particularly the Chief Medical Officer, who brought forward the recommendation, and then worked practically through the many things that we, as leaders, have to ensure that we get the balance right on. And, that is, with Omicron, we cannot have hundreds of thousands of Australians and more taken out of circulation based on rules that were set for the Delta variant. We need rules for the Omicron variant so we can keep our economy working, we can keep people in jobs, we can keep Australia open and we can focus the resources that we have on the tasks that are most urgent. The end of the day, get your booster, monitor your symptoms, check in where you're going and use common sense to manage your health responsibly and that of your family. And with that, I’ll pass you on to the Chief Medical Officer. Thank you, Professor Kelly.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Thank you, PM. So I think the summary of where we are today compared with a month ago has been given by the Prime Minister. We’re in a new phase with Omicron. It’s a different virus, very different from previous versions of the virus we’ve seen over the last two years. And what is the difference? We know that it’s very transmissible. It’s at least as transmittable as Delta. And it is transmitting fast in the community, as we’ve seen - 110,000 active cases now in Australia, and that’s continuing to rise. I expect it will continue to rise.
Omicron, though, is less severe. I think that is becoming very clear now. We had good news overnight. There was a preprint paper that I read from South Africa. South Africa’s a different country to us in various, in various ways, but they have had the longest and most extensive experience of this particular form of the COVID-19 virus, the Omicron variant. They are seeing a 73 per cent decrease in severity. And that’s that’s becoming very clear now, in terms of their measures of severity with this virus. That’s similar to what we are seeing in Australia. The PM already mentioned the hospitalisations, ICU and ventilation rates in Australia. They are extremely low compared with what we’re seeing with Delta, and in the pre-vaccination era with other variants of the virus. So 1,400 out of 110,000 in hospital - that is much lower than what we’ve seen before. ICU - 122, and ventilated patients, the most severe end of the spectrum, less than it was yesterday. Now, there can be, that may rise over over time as well, but at the moment, that is, that is what we’re seeing - a much less severe spectrum. So that brings about a change.
Now, the other key element of this is we need to protect our PCR testing for where the best bang for the buck is. We’ve seen over the last week an increase in that positivity rate, from around one per cent, which is what we’ve seen right throughout the pandemic, to almost five per cent and even higher in some states. That demonstrates to me that there are, we are not getting to the people that we need to get to, in terms of PCR testing, hence that risk-based approach for who we want to come forward for PCR testing. It’s people that are symptomatic, plus those that are identified as close contacts. The closest contacts - household contacts.
And so that’s the key components of our change. We went through that with the, with the National Cabinet today to look at those testing arrangements, to look at the isolation and quarantine arrangements, so that we can have people out there in society and working when they are at less, lesser risk, and only for the minimal amount of time in quarantine or isolation if they’re a case or one of those very close contacts.
I think the other key component that we talked about again today is the vaccination and public health and social measures. They are in place, the public health and social measures, are in place in each of the jurisdictions. Every jurisdiction has active cases in the community right now. It’s demonstrated on the screen today with the number of premiers and chief ministers who were wearing masks, as the PM and myself and and General Frewen were. Vaccination, absolutely crucial and important, including the booster program, and I think with that I’ll hand to, hand to the General.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JJ FREWEN, COORDINATOR GENERAL OF OPERATION COVID SHIELD: Well, good afternoon everybody. The booster rollout continues to progress well. As of yesterday, 2.3 million of the 3.9 million eligible people have had their boosters, which represents around 57 per cent. There was 149,000 vaccines administered yesterday, 112,000 of those were boosters. And, pleasingly, 60,000 of
those vaccines were delivered through pharmacies, which is a record day for pharmacies and the first day that pharmacists have delivered more than GPs. So it’s great to see the pharmacists starting to reach their full capacity. And we’re also looking forward to the states and territories starting to ramp up their clinics as well as we head into what will be a a very busy January for the booster rollout program.
In terms of supply, at the end of tomorrow, 4.1 million Australians will be eligible for a booster. In early January, when we shift from five-month to four-month duration, that lifts up to 7.6 million. But there is currently three million doses of mRNA sitting on shelves. Over the first two weeks of January, we will deliver another six million doses of mRNA out to GPs, pharmacists and state hubs. In addition to that, there is another 16 million doses of mRNA sitting in warehouses awaiting delivery. So the supply is not the concern. There will of course be areas where demand outstrips the immediate ordering. And we continue to work with all of the providers to to get either urgent deliveries to them or to work local redistributions. And we urge any distributor who has, is running low on supply, please contact the vaccine operation centre and we will make sure that we get additional vaccine to you as quickly as we can.
January will be a big month. The eligibility for boosters, as I've just said, will ramp up. We've got the five to 11-year-olds starting from the 10th of January. Everything is well on track for both of those things. So I just encourage people, if you haven't yet got your booking in for a booster, please do so as quickly as you can after you become eligible. And also get your five to 11-year-olds booked in. And I also do want to particularly thank all of the health providers who have continued to deliver vaccines through Christmas, Boxing Day and this holiday period. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Two further points of clarification that are important. One is, in South Australia, I just want to stress, while they are adopting the definition of close contact from midnight tonight, they are continuing with their 10-day rule in South Australia. So nothing is further changing on the isolation arrangements in South Australia. But the definition of a close contact is as I've set it out today.
And in relation to something General Frewen just mentioned, just because someone becomes eligible for a booster does not mean that if they have not had their booster by that day, they are overdue, ok. That is a, that is something that's been peddled out there, which is not accurate. It's not true. You become eligible from a particular date. And from that date, we encourage people to go and have their booster. To suggest that if someone has not had their booster by that date that they are somehow overdue is false. Ok. Happy to take questions from.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Greg Hunt said today that the TGA was being cautious in terms of not allowing or approving rapid tests until November. But the TGA has previously said they needed the green light from the Government to even make that approval. So who do we believe?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I wouldn't agree with your summary of the arrangements, as they've existed over these many months. Applications are made to the TGA and the TGA, independent of Government, makes decisions about whether they’re approved or not. That's how the system works. And I agree that the TGA should exercise appropriate caution. I mean, we already know, as I said yesterday, that we have current applicants who have had their product withdrawn by the FDA in the United States. So there'll be some who will be out there selling their wares. The only way they will have anything approved by the TGA is if they comply with the requirements of the TGA, they provide the data that the TGA insists on providing. There are a number of applicants who haven't co-operated with that, and, of course, you wouldn't expect them to be approved in those circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just to clarify one of the points you made at the end. For the jurisdictions which change the definition of a close contact …
PRIME MINISTER: Yep.
JOURNALIST: … at midnight tonight, the people in those jurisdictions who are isolating, who don't meet that definition, can they cease isolating?
PRIME MINISTER: They can.
JOURNALIST: Ok.
PRIME MINISTER: Let them, let them out.
JOURNALIST: And secondly, has there been any assessment, modelling, data done on what this relaxation of the definition will do in terms of pressure on hospital systems? Can we expect more people to end up being hospitalised, going into ICUs, or is the vaccination going to protect us?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll let the Chief Medical Officer respond to that, but I would just say this first. What we're dealing with is a different variant that has a high volume with a lower severity of illness, and we have done endless rounds of modelling over the last many months about the impacts on the hospital system. And so it really does become an issue of the proportion of total number of cases that end up in serious illness that put pressure on the hospital system. And these are the issues that, of course, are being worked through by the medical expert panel and the Chief Medical Officer. So what I want to make very clear today is the definition we have adopted today has actually come forward from the Chief Medical Officer and one on which I strongly agree with. It's a practical definition to deal with the circumstances of the new variant and to maximise the resources we have available to deal with the pandemic. Now, we have significant resources to do that, more than most countries around the world, hence why we've got one of the best responses and outcomes from COVID anywhere in the world. But you still have to be careful and judicious about how you apply that. But, Paul.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: So as I said earlier, there are three main ways that we have to combat this this variant, as we had with previous variants, and the vaccination program, we've heard about that, and particularly the boosters. We do know that vaccines do protect against against severe illness, particularly particularly if those vaccinations have been given recently, and a booster will, actually that third dose, will actually increase that back to the level of protection that we saw against Delta. We also believe that that booster booster dose will assist with the infection and trans, onward transmissions. So those, the booster program, absolutely crucial. And again, I ask people to take that on board when they become eligible. The second one is public health and social measures - wearing masks as you, as you all are today, that's very important. All the other things that are in place, it’s a matter for the states and territories. The third one is test, trace, isolate and quarantine. In these, in this current environment of very large numbers of cases, we have to go to where the risk is greatest and make sure that those people that are the closest contacts are getting rapidly diagnosed, rapidly isolating and therefore protecting the rest of the community. That's the absolute key piece. So so this, these issues announced today will actually improve that
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. There are big events, parties, festivals organised around the country over the weekend. What would you like people and events organisers to do? And Professor Kelly, are you concerned about a spike in cases following New Year’s Eve?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I would like people to do tomorrow night is enjoy the evening. I would like them to be looking forward into 2022 and looking forward confidently because Australia's future is bright. What I would like people to do tomorrow night is exercise common sense and follow all the normal precautions that we've been talking about. You know, we've been living with this virus now, and the virus has been around us now for two years, and we understand a lot more about it than we previously did and we understand how it's transferred. So I would expect people to show appropriate caution, common sense, treat each other with the sort of respect for their health as well, in terms of how they're engaging with them, and enjoy a beautiful, hopefully summer evening all around the country, as we move from 2021 into 2022 with an economy which is performing more strongly than most advanced economies around the world through COVID, with the lowest death rates we've seen from COVID, and one of the highest vaccination rates, which gives us confidence, particularly with these new settings, to be able to move into the new year and to ensure that we can keep our businesses open and people can make their choices and ensure that they can plan for their future with confidence. But Paul.
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: I don't really have anything else to add. Obviously, when people gather together, we know we've been talking about this for a long time - that issue of social distancing, wearing masks if you can't social distance in a large crowd would be my advice to people that may be on the foreshore in Sydney, for example. Other than that, enjoy the new year and let's hope for a better 2022.
PRIME MINISTER: I mean, if you're at home, have the barbecue outside, don't eat inside. That's what we're planning to do.
JOURNALIST: Just on some of the jurisdictions where this definition is changing at midnight tonight. Some of these jurisdictions, they're seeing thousands of cases a day. People are really struggling to get their hands on any rapid antigen tests. Does that mean we're going to see those queues at PCR facilities really persist over the next couple of weeks, at least if that's the only place people can go?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, if people can get this information about what the new requirement is for a test which is much more limited than it was before, then we should see less people in those queues. I know the New South Wales Premier has been saying if you're not symptomatic and you're not a close contact, then go home. That's the that's the first way. That's the first way to be able to ensure that we get those queues down. In terms of the supplies in the private market, in the pharmacies and the shop in the supermarkets and places like that. What's important is that they have the certainty that they know that governments aren't all of a sudden going to go around and start providing these free to anybody and everybody. They're not going to go and order quantities to have on their shelves if they fear the risk of that occurring. And what I'm being very clear about to them today is the governments of Australia, Commonwealth, state and federal are not going to do that. We will be providing them only where it is recommended to us that they need to be provided, which are in those settings of a close contact or for our aged care workers or in those high risk settings. Or indeed, if we what we hope to arrange for schooling when we go back to school next year. Otherwise, people can go and get those in the private market. That should provide a lot more certainty so the supplies can be ordered and we can get them on the shelves. And then people should exercise the appropriate responsibility to use only only only what they need.
JOURNALIST: Just one thing Prime Minister, could you, would you clarify just for childcare? What can you better define what a high risk setting is? What would that mean if there was a positive case that a child care centre? Would eight month old children have to isolate for seven days? How would that work?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that's that's that's not an accommodation setting.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, Prime Minister in the last week or so, you've been emphasising the need for a culture of personal responsibility.
PRIME MINISTER: Correct. For some time.
JOURNALIST: Now that you've changed this definition, which surely the consequence of it will mean that some people might not be detected who are in the community with COVID. What personal responsibility will you take over the next few weeks as we see the impact of these changes play out? Are you confident that this won't lead to a rise in deaths?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm confident that this is the best way to manage the Omicron pandemic. That's what I'm confident about.
JOURNALIST: And what personal responsibility will you take?
PRIME MINISTER: Just the same that I've taken all the way through this pandemic as Prime Minister. I mean, every single day through this pandemic, when I first stood before you here and Australia was one of the first countries in the world to call the pandemic two weeks before the World Health Organisation. At that time, I was being criticised by some in this place for trying to use the pandemic as an excuse not to talk about the issues that others wanted to talk about. I was focused on the pandemic. Each and every day, I focused on this pandemic to ensure that we've got the best possible settings that we can have. So I do take responsibility for the decisions that we've taken. I do take responsibility for the fact that Australia has one of the lowest death rates in the world, that we have one of the strongest economies coming through the pandemic and we indeed have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. These are all of my responsibilities.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] warning today that a fatalistic approach will be fatal for some people.
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: Do you accept OzSage's advice today that a fatalistic approach will be fatal for some?
PRIME MINISTER: I accept the Chief Medical Officer's advice.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: So I just might stay with the pandemic. If there's any more than that, I'm happy to come back to those things.
JOURNALIST: One epidemiologist that we spoke to today says that four hour time period is too long because you can catch COVID much quicker than that. And the AMA President says the outbreak will be accelerated by an overhaul of contact rules. Are you confident that won't happen?
PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Ah, we will have more cases. There's no doubt about that. This is a way of coping with that large caseload. It's about using the resources we have wisely, and I'll leave others to their own opinion.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] about testing for health workers getting back to work if PCR tests are ...
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah there was and there's further work being done on that between now and next week. What's important is that the change to these close contact definitions today and and the complete abolition of the casual contact notion means that this will have a positive impact on the furloughing issue with particularly the health workforce. But it will also have a positive impact on the hospitality workforce and the retail workforce and things like that, as well. As the Chief Medical Officer has said, of course we will see an increase in cases. That is not something that I don't expect. That's what I expect to happen. But with Omicron, with a lower severity, persisting with the Delta settings to try and combat what's happening with Omicron, well, that makes no sense. Of course, we should change and those changes are important. If we didn't change, then I think Australians would have a right to be concerned. But you know, right throughout this pandemic, you know, it doesn't come with a rulebook, it doesn't come with a guidebook. You get the best information and advice you can. You make the best decisions that you can. You seek to make those decisions together as best as you can. And that's what we've done today as as leaders of governments and particularly myself as Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: A question for Lieutenant-General Frewen or the CMO about the booster rollout. What's your best advice, or the latest figures about how many in aged care and how many in disability care have been double vaxxed but not received the booster yet? Have you got the latest figures on aged care residents and disability care residents who haven't been boosted?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JJ FREWEN, COORDINATOR GENERAL OF OPERATION COVID SHIELD: So we've been particularly focused on aged care facilities and of the just slightly over two and a half thousand aged care facilities, at the moment, we have done already a visit to about 1,500 of those. The eligibility has shifted, of course, so more have become due this year. Some of them were scheduled in January. We're now trying to move them into the first half of January. The remainder will fall due now in the second half of January, and we are well engaged with the vaccine providers to get them all scheduled in the second half of next year.
JOURNALIST: [Inaudible] aged care facilities haven't been visited for boosters yet?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JJ FREWEN, COORDINATOR GENERAL OF OPERATION COVID SHIELD: Well, they hadn't become eligible previously, so they're becoming eligible now and we've got plans in place to get them visited as quickly as possible.
PRIME MINISTER: And what we've seen, particularly in aged care these last weeks through Omicron, has been I think, the very sound management of the conditions there. We haven't seen the sort of scenes that we saw in the second wave of the pandemic in Victoria. Of course, we didn't have a vaccinated population then, so this is watched very, very carefully.
JOURNALIST: Why have 43 per cent of those that are eligible for boosters not had their booster yet if it's only 57 per cent much lower than the first and second dose. Is there a reason for that? Is it capacity? Is it just people thinking, oh, I've had two doses? I don't really want to have a third?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the rate of dosage for boosters is running at six times the rate of first doses, when we started, and it is more around twice the rate of second doses. So the booster rate is actually running significantly faster than we've seen in the last two doses of of the vaccination programme. And I also make this point that when someone becomes eligible, that does not mean they're overdue, OK? I would encourage people to do it as soon as they can. But by the end of January, General, we're going to have close to 16 million people. Now you can't vaccinate 16 million people on one day. But there's no shortage of vaccines. There's 20 million vaccines here in Australia. That's enough to boost, you know, 80 per cent of the Australian population and more coming over the course of the first half of this year. So there's no shortage of supply. But this is why we again stressed today the need to get those state clinics up and running again, and that's exactly what they're doing. And to get ourselves up at those world record rates we had back in October when we're running at, you know, over 300,000 a day on occasions and that's where we want to get back to. But to do that, you've got to have all cylinders firing. Certainly the the pharmacies, I mean, we learnt today was it 60,000 was it General, of the doses that were given yesterday were from pharmacies. Now during the earlier waves, I think it was around that five per cent that were done by pharmacies. And now we're seeing that at roughly up about 20 per cent. So the pharmacies kick in has been really important in lifting, I think those rates and particularly for boosters and we'll see those rates lift, and I am sure we will see Australians respond to this challenge just as they have on the first two doses and they're already doing it more quickly than they did on the first few doses, but General, anything to add?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL JJ FREWEN, COORDINATOR GENERAL OF OPERATION COVID SHIELD: On 1st of September, we had a record day of first doses 187,000. Last Wednesday, we had a 167,000 people come forward for boosters. So I mean, the demand is very strong. The capacity is there. We've, of course, had Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which has put a bit of a dent in the numbers. But two days ago we did 27,000. On the back end of that, as I said today, we're back up over 112,000 and I expect to see that continue to ramp up quickly. And remember, the eligibility has been shifting on us too. We went from six months to five months that that brought, you know, a number of million extra people back in and on as I've said on 1st Jan, we go from, you know, 4.1 million to 7.6 million. Now that is that is a large amount of people in a very short space of time. But the numbers are progressing well and we will ramp up through January. As in the state and territory clinics, both New South Wales and Victoria have committed to getting their clinics back up to 300,000 doses a week, which is where we were at the height of the rollout. So once we get nationally back up to the, you know, the high levels where we were, we'll get through people. Eligibility is eligibility, as the PM has said, but we're keen to get as many people through as quickly as we can after they become eligible.
JOURNALIST: There was a fire at Old Parliament House today, it seems like quite a serious fire and they've inflicted a lot of damage to the front of the building, a standoff with police and protesters. Do you have a response to that?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm disgusted and appalled by the behaviour that would see Australians come and set fire to such a symbol of democracy in this country. I just think it's appalling and I think it's disgraceful, and I think that the authorities should act swiftly and in accordance with the law and people should face the consequences for their actions. Their cause doesn't justify that sort of violence. That's not how Australia works. We have a rule of law in this country and people should obey it. And you know, as we come into this new year and we reflect on the many things of the past 12 months, it's been tough for so many Australians, and we still think of those six families down there in Tassie. It's been really tough, but you know, we live in one of the greatest countries of the world. We enjoy freedoms here. We enjoy a health care system. We enjoy freedoms that few countries enjoy to the same extent that we do and have over such a long period of time. So while Australia has had a tough year, there's still a lot to celebrate just by the simple fact that we're Australians and we live in Australia. Thank you very much, everyone.
