Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles

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Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that there are now four new positive COVID
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: nineteen cases recorded in the Northern Territory in the past
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: twenty four hours. Joining me on the line is the
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Health Minister Attasha Files.
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Minister I understand that these new cases arrived on
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  Speaker 1: the repatriation flight from Chennai on the fifteenth of April
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  Speaker 1: and they've tested positive for COVID nineteen.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, so we have seen, you know, over the
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  Speaker 2: Territory's role in repatriating these vulnerable Australian homes a number
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  Speaker 2: of cases. There's currently eleven active cases in the Northern Territory.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Four were recorded yesterday and Katie, I haven't had today
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  Speaker 2: figures come through, but will be sure to get those
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  Speaker 2: through to you as soon as we get them. But
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  Speaker 2: these are people that have arrived on these repatriation flights.
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  Speaker 2: They're tested immediately upon arrival and then there's a process
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  Speaker 2: of continual testing during their stay. So that's why the
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  Speaker 2: Territorians we do see these cases, you know, they sort
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  Speaker 2: of wonder where we had the flight the other day,
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: why they're suddenly cases today. They're tested and then that
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  Speaker 2: screening process takes place and then they're tested again during
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  Speaker 2: their stay.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So eleven cases in the Northern Territory at
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  Speaker 1: the moment, but they are all at the Howard Springs
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  Speaker 1: Quarantine Facility. Minister, it almost sounds like you're expecting more today,
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  Speaker 1: So Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I think you only have to look at what's happening,
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  Speaker 2: particularly in India, but around the world we're seeing this
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  Speaker 2: new wave of the virus and so I know many
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  Speaker 2: of us had hoped that we were sort of past
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  Speaker 2: the worst of it, but those cases, particularly in India,
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  Speaker 2: and so we are seeing a percentage of people off
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  Speaker 2: those flights infected, and so we build our resources around
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: that infectivity rate well.
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  Speaker 1: And I think we all know how important the crew
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  Speaker 1: out there, the OSMACK crew have been out there in
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  Speaker 1: terms of managing those international repatriations and indeed the number
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  Speaker 1: of cases that have been through that facility.
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  Speaker 3: When is the facility.
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  Speaker 1: Expected to change over in terms of the management from
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  Speaker 1: the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Team Northern Territory
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Health to.
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  Speaker 2: Katie, I want to make it really clear that change
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  Speaker 2: will only occur when OZMAT has the confidence that we
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  Speaker 2: have all the clinical procedures in place to keep territory
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  Speaker 2: and safe for me as the Minister for National Resilience,
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  Speaker 2: that's been my absolute key point all the way through.
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  Speaker 2: We are working towards dates, and in fact there's already
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  Speaker 2: been work undertaken where staff from the OZMAT side are
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  Speaker 2: being mirrod by staff from nt Health. Some of the
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  Speaker 2: odd OSMAT staff, the people that are currently working under
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  Speaker 2: the banner of OZMTT are going to go across and
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  Speaker 2: work under the territory program. So it's really important that
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  Speaker 2: territorians understand that it's not simply oh, here's the list
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  Speaker 2: of people and we're out of here. It's absolutely a
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  Speaker 2: process where we're making sure all those clinical procedures that
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: have been placed continue and that staff are fully trained,
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  Speaker 2: and some of the staff will come across as well
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  Speaker 2: as new staff joining the program.
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  Speaker 1: But Minister, when are those additional flights going to start arriving?
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  Speaker 2: So we're seeing an increase in the flights over the
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  Speaker 2: next few weeks. One of our restrictions around the increase
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  Speaker 2: in flights. Just for your listeners, there's currently eight hundred
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  Speaker 2: and thirty three people at Howard Springs and seven hundred
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  Speaker 2: and twenty two of those are at the Center for
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  Speaker 2: National resilience with those flights. We were always had a
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  Speaker 2: constraint of infrastructure if we were to see a late
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  Speaker 2: cyclone that has been seen in the territory of cyclone
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  Speaker 2: during April, and so we had to make sure that
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  Speaker 2: we could safely care for people if we were faced
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  Speaker 2: with that situation, but was always intended to step it
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  Speaker 2: up during May.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so during May, those flights are going to step up.
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  Speaker 1: We are going to see more of those international arrivals.
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  Speaker 1: But by the sounds of things, there's no real rush
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  Speaker 1: to change over from the OZMA team managing those international
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  Speaker 1: arrivals to nt Health.
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  Speaker 2: So OZMA Katie has deployed recently to Papua New Guinea.
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  Speaker 2: They've been supporting it and looking at what's happened in
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  Speaker 2: tim or less and so there is people in OSMAT
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  Speaker 2: that would like to get back to their core roles,
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  Speaker 2: but no, there is no rush at all make sure
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  Speaker 2: that the processes are in place, that those high clinical
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  Speaker 2: standards that have really led the world that they have
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  Speaker 2: developed are in place before they leave the facility, so
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  Speaker 2: to speak. But some of their staff will in fact
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  Speaker 2: stay at the facility and work under the anti government
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  Speaker 2: anti health spanner.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So there were plans to obviously recruit four hundred
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  Speaker 1: staff that we're going to need to be attracted to
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  Speaker 1: fill those roles once the change over happened.
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  Speaker 3: Is that still.
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  Speaker 2: Required, yes, Katie, So we do need to fill around
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  Speaker 2: four hundred roles and those roles are from logistics, cleaners,
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  Speaker 2: support people through to doctors and nurses that provide that care.
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  Speaker 2: The model out there, and I visited the facility with
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  Speaker 2: the Territory Controller along with Lena Taris, Professor Lamaitaris and
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  Speaker 2: looked at how the changes and the changes are practical elements.
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  Speaker 2: So at the moment you've got the two sides and
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  Speaker 2: you've got a separation of the facilities, they're coming together
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  Speaker 2: will provide there'll be the areas for each fly and
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  Speaker 2: so they'll be isolated, they'll have that red zone, and
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  Speaker 2: so it'll be a far more logical use of the
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  Speaker 2: facilities out there as we step forward under the one banner.
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  Speaker 1: And so where are you adding terms of this recruitment.
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  Speaker 1: How many staff have now been recruited, Katy.
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  Speaker 2: I don't have the latest figure, but when I was
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  Speaker 2: at the facility a couple of weeks ago, around seventy
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  Speaker 2: staff have already been recruited. Now some stuff are going
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  Speaker 2: to come across from OZMA to MTG, but that recruitment
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  Speaker 2: is going well for the facility, and like I said,
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  Speaker 2: we want to be changing from the Osmack model to
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  Speaker 2: MTG until we have absolute confidence that we have those
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  Speaker 2: clinical processes and the plans in place as well as
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  Speaker 2: the staff to make sure that that can be executed.
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  Speaker 3: How on earth are you going to reach four hundred.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, as I said, there are a variety of roles,
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  Speaker 2: and I expect that those roles are now being advertised
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  Speaker 2: and so it was a situation that we had to
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: do preliminary work to identify the roles within the structure
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  Speaker 2: do the job descriptions. But that work's all been undertaken.
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  Speaker 2: There being advertised, so I expect it to list quite
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: quickly as we know, as these next few weeks progress.
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: Okay, I do want to talk to you about the situation.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: With the National Cabinet meeting yesterday, it was decided that
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: the vaccine rollout would be reset on the back of
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  Speaker 1: the updated Medical Advice recommending that Australians under the age
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: of fifty received the fires A vaccine over the astrosenica
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  Speaker 1: amid concerns about red blood clots. How is this going
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  Speaker 1: to impact the rollout of the vaccine in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, it has forced us to recalibrate our vaccine plans.
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  Speaker 2: We had based plans and our challenge has always been
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  Speaker 2: a small population in remote communities across a large geographical area.
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  Speaker 2: And so now that we need to use the fires
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  Speaker 2: of vaccine for under fifties and the astrosenka for over
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  Speaker 2: fifties from that comm WOS direction, it does for us
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  Speaker 2: create we need to recall rate all those plans and
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: put new plans in place, and so we're working through
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  Speaker 2: that so that we can roll the vaccine out territory wide.
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  Speaker 1: So how long do you think it's going to take
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  Speaker 1: now to vaccinate everybody in the Northern.
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  Speaker 2: Territory, Katie, I don't have a time frame. I'm hopeful
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  Speaker 2: that everyone in the territory will be vaccinated by the
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  Speaker 2: end of the year. We've already vaccinated around eighteen thousand
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  Speaker 2: Territorians and there has been a significant number who received
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: their second dose. But we need to be in terms
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  Speaker 2: of our vaccination program. We are going back and looking
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  Speaker 2: at the plans the Commonwealth. I've had conversations with Schedual
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  Speaker 2: Health Minister Greg Hunt and he certainly understands in the
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  Speaker 2: territory the difficulty that we have, but also the opportunity
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  Speaker 2: and has indicated that there'll be flexibility from the Commonwealth
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  Speaker 2: for us to roll out our plans.
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  Speaker 1: But there must be some kind of timeline I'm assuming
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  Speaker 1: as to you know when you reach certain milestones.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, that's what we're working through and will share
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  Speaker 2: with the community in the coming weeks. We need to
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  Speaker 2: know what back, what vaccines, and what types and numbers
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  Speaker 2: we're getting into the territory for us to it's a
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  Speaker 2: big change from Astrazenica, which was nine weeks nine to
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  Speaker 2: twelve weeks apart. The fire needs to be delivered only
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: three weeks apart, and so we had plans to visit
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  Speaker 2: areas and then go back and visit them later. It
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  Speaker 2: might be better off for us to stay in a
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: particular region and vaccinate that region. So that's what's been
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  Speaker 2: worked through presently, but territoriums should be reassured that we
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: don't have that community transmission. Over eighteen thousand or around
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  Speaker 2: eighteen thousand, territories have been vaccinated. All of our pretty
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  Speaker 2: much all of our frontline workers, those highest risk people
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  Speaker 2: have been excuse me, vaccinated and will continue to be now.
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  Speaker 1: I know that it's been reported nationally that doctors are
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  Speaker 1: now reporting that patients are missing their appointments for the
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  Speaker 1: astrosenica vaccine over safety concerns, with thousands of doses sitting
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  Speaker 1: idle in fridges across the country. Have we had that
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  Speaker 1: situation here in the territory, Katy.
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  Speaker 2: There's certainly apprehension around the astrosenica vaccine, and so it's
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  Speaker 2: really important for people to understand this blood clotting is
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  Speaker 2: extremely rare, and the advice is when you are over fifty,
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  Speaker 2: you've got more of a risk of COVID than the
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  Speaker 2: blood clotting it's been in younger people. If you've had
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  Speaker 2: your first dose of astrosenica and that was, you know,
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  Speaker 2: a few weeks ago on your duty, your second dose,
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  Speaker 2: you should get that second dose. It's so important to
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: make sure you're fully vaccinated. The reactions to date have
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: been as I understand, in that first dose. So you know,
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  Speaker 2: if you under fifty and you're received a first dose
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  Speaker 2: of astrozeneka, you need to see that that second dose,
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  Speaker 2: it must be astrasenica two that you can be reassured
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  Speaker 2: that reactions seem to be in that first dose. So
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  Speaker 2: people just to.
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  Speaker 1: Go back to the question though, do we have a
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  Speaker 1: situation where there is vaccine sitting idle in the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory or are we not in that situation here in
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  Speaker 1: the territory.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, the advice that the Health Department has provided me,
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  Speaker 2: and remembering we've got the Health Department and then the
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  Speaker 2: commonwealths are rolling out the age care and then the GPS.
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  Speaker 2: But around seventy five percent of our vaccines has been
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  Speaker 2: used and so we're not seeing the vaccine s on
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: the shelf here. But Katie, this is all developed fairly quickly.
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  Speaker 2: It was only ten days ago that the advice around
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  Speaker 2: astrazeneka changed. But the advice I've had is that we're
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: still utilizing the vaccine we've got.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: Okay, I just want to go across to some pretty
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: terrible vision which has been shared very widely on social media. Overnight,
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: a Darwin shop owner's been taken to hospital after she
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: was injured during a supermarket robbery. The Northern Territory Police
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: Watch commander spoke to Maddie Hepworth, our news director, a
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  Speaker 1: little bit earlier this morning and said, there's a staff
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: at the Winnelli supermarket noticed two men had entered the
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: store and were acting suspiciously. Now they then were grabbing
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: different things. They grabbed alcohol and when the time came
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: to pay or to head towards the desk, they bowled this.
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  Speaker 3: Shop owner over.
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  Speaker 1: She's ended up injured and had to be taken to
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  Speaker 1: Royal Darwin Hospital.
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: Have you seen that vision and what was your reaction, Katie?
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: I haven't seen that vision, but the way you've just
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: described it to me sounds terrible and it's unacceptable. I
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: do need to be careful with my comments that the
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: police are clearly investigating and hopefully charges can be laid,
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: but that is unacceptable in our behavior, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: people should have the right to be safe at works
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: just doing their job and we've put in place a
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: range of measures and we will continue to work on
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  Speaker 2: this issue and be agile and respond to the community.
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: Now it is being reported that at the desk they
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: were asked for ID which they didn't have, and it
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: was at that time that the shop owner placed herself
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: some distance behind the two mails and she had a
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: trolley in front of her. They turned with that stolen
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: property and charged at the lady. I mean, does this
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: demonstrate that we've got a real situation in the territory
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: at the moment where if people want alcohol, they are
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: going to extraordinary lengths to get.
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: It, Katie, I will wait for them the advice from police,
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  Speaker 2: but we know that alcohol is the basis of so
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: much crime and anti social behavior, and we've put in
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: place measures to protect the community. But that is clearly
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: unacceptable what you have just explained. People are breaking the
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: law and they're harming an individual and there's in no
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: way would that be appropriate.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Well, we will be speaking hopefully to the Winelli shop
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: owner a little bit later this morning. Minister for Health,
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  Speaker 1: Natasha Files, we appreciate your time today, Thanks very much
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: for speaking with us.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Thank you