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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The Chief Health Officer has revoked Greater Melbourne as a
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  Speaker 1: hot spot, but there is still a tiered system for
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  Speaker 1: those who've been in Greater Melbourne. Joining us on the
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  Speaker 1: line to tell us more about this is the Health Minister,
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  Speaker 1: Attasha Files.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 3: Minister.
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  Speaker 1: What is the situation now for those who have or
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  Speaker 1: well have been to the Greater Melbourne area or plan
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  Speaker 1: to travel into the Northern Territory from Greater Melbourne at
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  Speaker 1: this point?
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, it's really important for your listeners if they're
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  Speaker 2: planning any interstate travel or have family coming to visit,
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  Speaker 2: that they have a look at the NTG website and
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  Speaker 2: also perhaps the jurisdiction where they're coming from, because we've
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  Speaker 2: got a number of situations and the information is changing
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  Speaker 2: quite quickly around Australia. In terms of Melbourne. We saw
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  Speaker 2: yesterday evening the Chief Health Officer revoked the hot spot
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  Speaker 2: declaration for Greater Metropolitan Melbourne, but there is still measures
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  Speaker 2: in place for anyone that's visited Tier one, two and
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  Speaker 2: three sites. Quite detailed information, kat and that's why I
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  Speaker 2: do urge people to visit those websites.
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  Speaker 1: Now, what does it mean for those that are currently
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  Speaker 1: in Howard Springs, were they let out as of six
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  Speaker 1: o'clock yesterday.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, correct, Katie. So obviously that chiefhold Office decision was made.
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  Speaker 2: He had information from HPPC, he talked to his expert
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  Speaker 2: panel and we had one of our emergency subcommittee meetings
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  Speaker 2: of Cabinet and that decision was made so people that
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  Speaker 2: were at Howard Springs were able to leave the facility,
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  Speaker 2: but noting it was late in the day, people if
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  Speaker 2: they wished to stay overnight, we did allow for that, Katie.
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  Speaker 3: How many people are.
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  Speaker 1: We talking how many will either have or are about
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  Speaker 1: to leave quarantine as a result of that hotspot change.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, we've got two figures for the Howard Springs facility.
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  Speaker 2: We've got around four hundred and seventy people and there
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  Speaker 2: are international travelers presently. We had a number of flights
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  Speaker 2: arrived late last week, and then we have around three
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  Speaker 2: hundred and fifteen who are domestic travelers and we have
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  Speaker 2: around us understand forty people still from Greater Melbourne in
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  Speaker 2: the facility, but they don't necessarily all mean that they're
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  Speaker 2: part of those Pier one locations where they need to
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  Speaker 2: stay in quarantine. It could be that people just think
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  Speaker 2: so late in the day they couldn't arrange accommodation or travel,
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  Speaker 2: and so we of course know allowed them to stay
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  Speaker 2: on in that facility.
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  Speaker 3: Right, So just talk us through that again.
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  Speaker 1: Three hundred and fifteen domestic travelers, but how many how
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  Speaker 1: many are still in there at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: So we've still got we had one hundred and thirty
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  Speaker 2: two that discharged late yesterday and so yeah, we'll work
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  Speaker 2: through those figures and I'm happy to provide links to
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  Speaker 2: you this morning while you're still on air around the specifics.
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  Speaker 2: But people certainly left the facility, some people territories to
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  Speaker 2: be very excited to get home, where others it wasn't
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  Speaker 2: so straightforward. They might have been needing to fly back
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  Speaker 2: into state or arrange alternative accommodation.
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  Speaker 3: No fair enough.
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  Speaker 1: Now, what's the situation at the moment with New South
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  Speaker 1: Wales and also Queensland. I know in New South Wales
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  Speaker 1: quite a few people are pretty concerned about just how
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  Speaker 1: easily COVID has well transmitted from person to person with
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  Speaker 1: this limousine driver, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: We're watching the New South Wales situation very closely and
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  Speaker 2: there is a number of locations where if you've visited
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  Speaker 2: that location you need to isolate, get tested in some
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  Speaker 2: cases remain in isolation. And the Chief Health Officer will
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  Speaker 2: today participate in HPPC, so territories can have that latest
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  Speaker 2: information now.
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  Speaker 1: So we'll have a bit of a better idea a
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  Speaker 1: little later today, I guess. But at this stage there's
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  Speaker 1: no hotspot declaration for New South Wales or Queensland at
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  Speaker 1: the moment.
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  Speaker 2: No, there's no Australia White hot Spot declarations for New
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  Speaker 2: South Wales. But we have got active cases in Queensland,
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  Speaker 2: New South Wales, the Act and of course the residual
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  Speaker 2: legacy from this Victorian situation, and so we do need
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  Speaker 2: people to remember if they choose to travel. And Katie,
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  Speaker 2: I notice school holidays are just around the corner next
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  Speaker 2: week and people are keen to see family and friends.
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  Speaker 2: But now it's probably the time to enjoy our rate
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  Speaker 2: dry season whether and stay in the territory.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, is that your advice for territorians maybe don't
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  Speaker 1: travel away this school holidays, stay here?
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  Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, it's so difficult to say that people haven't
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  Speaker 2: family and friends for a good you know, twelve to
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  Speaker 2: eighteen months in some cases, and so you know, as
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  Speaker 2: we do see more people vaccinated, and we've certainly seen
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  Speaker 2: COVID come right under control Australia wide, but they do
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  Speaker 2: need to think if you do travel into state. We've
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  Speaker 2: seen these situations developed very quickly, you know, we saw
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  Speaker 2: that Melbourne situation go from one case to a lockdown
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  Speaker 2: fairly quickly. So you just need to keep that in
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  Speaker 2: mind if you do travel, can you stay where you
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  Speaker 2: are for an extended period? I saw someone on social
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  Speaker 2: media today that a week trip turned into a four
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  Speaker 2: week trip for them? Can you stay there? Are you
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  Speaker 2: prepared to go to Howard Springs and do a couple
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  Speaker 2: of weeks there? So you know, each family situation is
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  Speaker 2: so different, but it's just an important reminder, Minister.
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  Speaker 1: I just want to ask about this tiered system. Obviously
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  Speaker 1: today we know that that's going to be the case
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  Speaker 1: for greater Melbourne. If you've been in one those spots,
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  Speaker 1: that's still a concern. Why are we going down the
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  Speaker 1: path of the tiered system? Do you think that it
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  Speaker 1: makes things more difficult for people to understand?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, the teared system is in Victoria and that's
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  Speaker 2: in response to them. They have a three tier risk
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  Speaker 2: based system for COVID nineteen public exposure sites and so
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  Speaker 2: we match our advice to their. So Tier one is
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  Speaker 2: anyone who's arrived in the territory sense the seventh of
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  Speaker 2: June that's been to those Tier one public exposure sites
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  Speaker 2: as directed by Victorian Health. And then they have the
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  Speaker 2: Tier two and Tier three, so that's corresponding to their system.
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  Speaker 2: In New South Wales. It is location, so they have
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  Speaker 2: if you visited that location, you need to follow the advice.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, now we know that the nation's leaders met yesterday
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  Speaker 1: and the vaccine was high on the agenda.
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  Speaker 3: Are we getting more supply of the pizer.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we will see an increase of the fire
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  Speaker 2: vaccine during July. The Commonwealth have committed to that. But
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  Speaker 2: what we did see late last week and we've spoken
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  Speaker 2: about this is the change to the astrazeneker advice from
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  Speaker 2: a TARGE the Australian Niminization Technical Advisory Group and then
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  Speaker 2: now recommending astrozenica for over sixty So we now need
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  Speaker 2: to cater for fifty to fifty nine. So we estimate
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  Speaker 2: about twenty thousand territories fall into this age category, so
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  Speaker 2: forty thousand vaccine. So we're just reworking our program to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that we can vaccinate everyone.
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  Speaker 3: So out with the booking system.
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  Speaker 1: I know that you and I spoke on the week
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  Speaker 1: that was last Friday, and I'd raised with you and
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  Speaker 1: your office earlier in the week last week as well
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  Speaker 1: that there was some trouble for some people trying to
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  Speaker 1: book in for their COVID vaccine, and I had asked
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  Speaker 1: whether that was because we didn't have enough of the
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  Speaker 1: fires A vaccine. Where are things at with.
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  Speaker 2: This, Yeah, Katie, Unfortunately people are still unable in the
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  Speaker 2: Darwin urban area to make a booking for FIZA, But
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  Speaker 2: we're working through that and we're hoping to have more
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  Speaker 2: booking appointments up online within the next day or so.
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  Speaker 2: We have the fires A coming in. We receive regular
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  Speaker 2: supplies of the vaccine, we get doses weekly, and we
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  Speaker 2: get provided with the information of what we're getting. But
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  Speaker 2: we just saw that surge with people and unfortunately all
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  Speaker 2: the booking times have been allocated. We're also working on
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  Speaker 2: opening that Darwin Mass Vaccination Center, which will provide more
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  Speaker 2: appointment opportunities and obviously for people to get vaccinated.
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  Speaker 3: Now where are we at with this mass vaccination center.
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  Speaker 3: When is it going to open?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we're working on opening it through July. We're
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  Speaker 2: just working through the logistics of that center, and particularly
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  Speaker 2: with the new requirement for people aged in their fifties
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  Speaker 2: to receive the vaccination. Now the fires are, we're just
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  Speaker 2: working through those logistics.
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  Speaker 3: And where is it going to be, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: We're looking in the Darwen Palmerston urban area. We want
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  Speaker 2: a location that people can easily access and that won't
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  Speaker 2: have an impact on nearby businesses. So the department's just
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  Speaker 2: working that through.
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  Speaker 1: And so have you got a few locations that are
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  Speaker 1: sort of already e marched that you're now shortlisting or
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  Speaker 1: what's the situation at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Katie, that's operational, But as soon as we have a
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  Speaker 2: confirmed location, we'll certainly share it with you and your listeners.
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  Speaker 2: Because the No Territorians have done a great job. We're
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  Speaker 2: getting close to eighty thousand vaccinations have been delivered territory wide.
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  Speaker 2: Territorians certainly are leading the nation in terms of vaccine,
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  Speaker 2: but we mustn't become complacent, so we'll get all that
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  Speaker 2: information out. We're just working through these significant changes that
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  Speaker 2: we saw last week. The changing our target advice, working
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  Speaker 2: with the Commonwealth around the supply of the vaccine and
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  Speaker 2: just getting everything in order.
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  Speaker 3: So is there a delay to this vaccination hub?
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  Speaker 2: No, Katie. I always said that we would open it
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  Speaker 2: during July, and that is what I expect at this stage.
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  Speaker 1: I've got a question here from a listener. It says,
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  Speaker 1: can you please ask Minister Files what's the cost? What
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  Speaker 1: the cost is to stay at Howard Springs? As I've
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  Speaker 1: been told it depends on your earnings. Therefore backpackers may
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  Speaker 1: not have to pay.
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  Speaker 2: No, Katie, it's two and a half thousand dollars up
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  Speaker 2: per person and five thousand dollars for a family to
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  Speaker 2: stay there. Now, sometimes, Katie, is if someone arrives and
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  Speaker 2: you know the hot spots listed very quickly, you know
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  Speaker 2: they're not there for very long, that will be reduced
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  Speaker 2: that fee. But know that there's no different rates. There
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  Speaker 2: can be an exemption process, but it is very rare
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  Speaker 2: to see that fee, not the invoice and is.
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  Speaker 1: Everyone paying You're not having any issues with people paying up, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I haven't seen that information lately, and I'm happy to
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  Speaker 2: go away and have a look at it. We certainly
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  Speaker 2: invoice people and we expect them to pay it. We've
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  Speaker 2: spoken about this before. It's just like any other money
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  Speaker 2: that you owe the government, you are expected to pay.
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  Speaker 2: But I'm happy to get some figures on how people
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  Speaker 2: have been paying. Territory families, as I understand, had been
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  Speaker 2: doing that invoicing that health is working there. So I'll
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  Speaker 2: get some information.
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  Speaker 3: For you now, Minister.
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  Speaker 1: What is the plan when it comes to the role
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  Speaker 1: out of the vaccine in pharmacies?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, So the common wors government did an expression
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  Speaker 2: of interest and we have had some community pharmacies in
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  Speaker 2: the territory put their hand up to deliver the vaccines.
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  Speaker 2: And pharmacies play a really important role in delivering health
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  Speaker 2: care and health information to the community. So my understanding
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  Speaker 2: is that they will deliver AstraZeneca from the middle of
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  Speaker 2: July into the community and the Commonwealth has been working
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  Speaker 2: directly with the pharmacies around their role in the COVID
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  Speaker 2: vaccination rollout.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So, because I know that it had been
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  Speaker 1: reported that it was going to happen I think from
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  Speaker 1: a little bit later next month or mid next month,
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  Speaker 1: and it would be in a few locations. Have we
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  Speaker 1: got any idea exactly how many locations no O, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I don't have that locational information, but the advice that
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  Speaker 2: we both just spoke about from around mid next month
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  Speaker 2: is correct.
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  Speaker 3: Okay.
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  Speaker 1: Now, do you feel as though at this point in
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  Speaker 1: time we're tracking well when it comes to the vaccine
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  Speaker 1: rollout now that it is all opened up to those
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  Speaker 1: over the age of sixteen?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we have vaccinated seventy seven thousand people in
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  Speaker 2: the territory and over twenty thousand have received their second dose,
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  Speaker 2: so that means ten percent of our population aged over
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  Speaker 2: sixteen are fully vaccinated against COVID nineteen and that figure
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  Speaker 2: really longs to Territorians. They've done an amazing job literally
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  Speaker 2: rolling up their sleeve and getting vaccinated. But we mustn't
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  Speaker 2: become complacent. And my job as the Health Minister is
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that we have the vaccine available and
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  Speaker 2: Territorians can access that and I'll continue to work in
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  Speaker 2: that space.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Minister for Health, Natasha Files, we appreciate your time. Actually,
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  Speaker 1: just finally, I know that estimates run all this week
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  Speaker 1: as well, but it all finishes up on Thursday, does.
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  Speaker 2: It, correct, Katie? So I think you see Minister Kate
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  Speaker 2: Warden and Minister Paul Kirby appearing at the hearings today
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  Speaker 2: and then Minister Selena Uber and Chancey Paike then Thursday
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  Speaker 2: morning is the Governor in corporation, so your power and water,
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  Speaker 2: territory generation, etc. This speaker and then we go into
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  Speaker 2: Parliament late Thursday afternoon to pass the budget. So what
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  Speaker 2: the estimates process is is for your listeners to understand
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  Speaker 2: it's going through the budget and it's a committee stage
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  Speaker 2: of passing a bill. So we go in Thursday after
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  Speaker 2: meet and pass that budget. So it's not a normal
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  Speaker 2: sittings day, but we can go in and have that
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  Speaker 2: debate and pass the budget for twenty twenty one twenty two.
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  Speaker 1: All right, well, minister, I think we'll see you Friday morning.
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  Speaker 3: Hopefully that would be great. Sounds good. We'll see you
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  Speaker 3: Friday for the week. That was good on you. Thank you.
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  Speaker 2: I'm convincing that we'll be sorry.
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  Speaker 3: Will you be here or Jane.
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  Speaker 2: You're talking about Friday.
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  Speaker 3: I'm very organized, Minister Files. We'll catch up with you
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  Speaker 3: again very soon. Thank you for your time.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, and.
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  Speaker 1: Well I was I've always got Friday on the mind,
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  Speaker 1: making sure that we've got everybody lined up for our
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: Friday morning for the week. That was because our next guest,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: Robin Lambley, she's going to be joining us at nine
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  Speaker 1: thirty and she's also going to be joining us on Friday.
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  Speaker 1: So Ronnie and I like to be extra organized in
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  Speaker 1: here for you all.