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

Transcript

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

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You're listening to mix one oh four point nine. Now,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the Chief Health Officer has declared Greater Metropolitan Sydney and
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the City of Blue Mountains and the City of Wollongong
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: local government areas as COVID nineteen hot spots. The Waverley
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Council as well as the Wallara Council local government areas
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: also remain as declared hotspots. Now joining me on the
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: line to tell us more is the Health Minister Attasha Files.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Good morning, Good morning Katie, Good morning listening minister.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: When did the hot spots come into play?
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: So yesterday octually Health Officer participated in AHPPC and met
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: with his clinical expert panel and the vice he provided
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: was that we should declare those areas that you just mentioned,
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: Greater Metropolitan Sydney, the City of Blue Mountains, the City
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: of Woollongong as hot spots, meaning anyone who enters the
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: Northern Territory needs to go into mandatory quarantine. So that
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: was put in place at six o'clock last night, Katie,
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: is really important to your listeners to. There's also some
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: directions in place for people who may have been in
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: the territory prior to that. App is if they've been
• 1:01
  Speaker 3: at any of those locations and are considered by New
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: South Wales Health as a casual or a close contact,
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: they need to isolate and get tested.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Okay, So Minister, where can people get that information if
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: they are concerned that they've been to any of those
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: locations and they do need to go into quarantine and
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: get tested.
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: So the best advice is to go to Coronavirus dot
• 1:20
  Speaker 3: MT dot gov dot au and look at the travel
• 1:24
  Speaker 3: restrictions for the territory, the testing advice and also those locations.
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: But they can also link through to New South Wales
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: dot gov dot au and their COVID nineteen sites and
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: Katie waltsweat we're mentioning this. So focus is certainly New
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: South Wales, but Victoria, Queensland and the Act also have
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: some locations and it would be very rare that someone
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: in the territory's been at that location, but there is
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: a chance. So the advice is if you've been in
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: any of those jurisdictions in the last couple of weeks,
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: look at the advice and make sure that it doesn't
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: impact you.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: Now we know that when well the larger areas of
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Victoria were declared a hot spot a few weeks ago.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: It meant that there was a lot of people who
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: actually had been there and then had to go through
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: that testing. Do you have any concerns that we're going
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: to see a similar situation with this one in New
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: South Wales? So I mean, like, how many people at
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: this point in time do you think are going to
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: be impacted?
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, that was something that I thought the advice
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: of yesterday as we made this declaration. We stood up
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: at additional resources last night. They had the call center
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: and testing open later. We don't expect great numbers, Katie,
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: in this situation because we're declaring our hot spots, so
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: people are there either going into quarantine or they're already
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: being the territory. And yes there is a testing requirement
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: for some people who are in the territory who were
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: those close and casual contacts, but that measure has been
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: in place for a few days now.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: Okay, was there any flights that were coming in last night?
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: Do we know how many people have been caught up
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: in this who are now in Howard Springs?
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: Katie? I know that you asked me the other day
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: when they spoke about the numbers in Howard Springs and
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: what I can say a part of domestic quarantining, there's
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: two hundred and forty seven and thirteen went in in
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: the last twenty four hours, so I think there was
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: a flight that arrived directly from Sydney around midnight, but
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: they would have been able to get that information before
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: that flight departed, is my understanding, Katie.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Okay, so sorry, Just on those domestic numbers, did you
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: say two hundred and forty seven out of Howard Springs
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: right now?
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: Yes, But Katie, that'll be some people that may have
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: come in on daily flights yea, and workers in different teams.
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: So we certainly saw a significant exit once Melbourne was lifted.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: And then the advice I've got this morning is that
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: around a dozen went in, but we'll see how that goes.
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: But we've certainly scaled up in case we have further
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: admissions from this new South Wales declaration.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: Just on those Dilly flights, my understanding is over the
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: last week there has been I think two people who've
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: come in from Delhi who've tested positive to COVID. Have
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: they gone through the raft base or have they gone
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: through the airport the Katie.
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: My understanding is that the domestic flights for DELLY does
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: come through the duw And International Airport and so they
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: are kept step through in terms of their an international
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: arrival and they go through that screening process. And yes,
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: two people upon spending time in the territory have become
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: infested or that they're tested positive for COVID, and of
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: course the contact traces would be going back through to
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: see whom they might have come into contact with and
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: when they're infectious. So were they infectious when they're on
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: that flight or at that airport and they would be
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: contacting people?
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Okay, So when those people arrived, they didn't go directly.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: They did go directly to Howard Springs, but they went
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: through the airport first.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: So that flight has been arriving as a commercial flight
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: as opposed to the repatriation flights which have been arriving
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: through the Wrath site. So they would have entered down
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: International Airport and gone straight to Howard spring.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: Okay, but that contact tracing is now happening. Is there
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: any concern that they have actually come into contact with
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: other people while infectious?
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, I haven't received advice that they have got concerns,
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: but that contact tracing is underway. I'm not sure the
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: case yesterday was a female and she's asymptomatic, but they'll
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: be looking at seeing was there any chance of infectivity
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: and whom would that have been, you know, any bus
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: drivers or anything. But this regime for those daily flights
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: has been in place for many months, Katie, and so
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: we certainly make sure that people, you know, that practices
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: that are adhered to. But they'll be looking at that now.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: So you're pretty confident at this point in time that
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: that case that came through through the airport yesterday or
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: the day before that, that it's not going to have
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: an impact on the on the wider community.
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: So Katie, that case cats a positive in the twenty
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: four hours from yesterday, but they had arrived some days
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: before that. So I haven't been advised that there's any rescore,
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: any contact tracing at the airport. So certainly following this
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: conversation seeks further advice, but our contact tracing would be
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: well onto that.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Now some states have locked out the whole state of
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: New South Wales.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: Is that on the carts, Katie.
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: We don't rule anything out, but our men are proportionate.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: We know this impact where just days away from the
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: school holidays, you know this is a huge impact on
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: not only territorians hoping to see family and friends, but
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: on our tourism industry. So our chief Health officer believes
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: the decision that he's made now is proportionate and provides
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: the best coverage to territoriums from this emerging significant I
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: would say, COVID nineteen situation in Metropolitan Sydney right now.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: How badly do you feel as though this is going
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: to impact our tourism sector ahead of the school holidays?
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, we certainly saw when the Melbourne hot spot
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: was declared it had an impact on the industry. We
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: did see some cancelations, they were picked up by other
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: visitors and locals alike. Obviously Melbourne has been listed, but
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: we have been quite a large geographical area declared yesterday
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: and we certainly don't rule out further declarations. So people should,
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: if they're planning to travel, make sure they keep themselves
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: informed and be aware that this situation is evolving. I
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: see that one of the New South Wales ministers has
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: tested positives this morning, so it's certainly the New South
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Wales authorities are concerned and that's why we made this
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: hot spot declaration.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Well, Minister, a couple of quick questions here.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: There are reports that the Northern territories going to be
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: getting the Maderna vaccine as that vaccine roll out continues.
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: Is that the case, so.
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: Katie, we continue to work with the Commonwealth. There's a
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: number of steps in place, a targety that technical Unization
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: group has to rigorously test that vaccine. But we're certainly
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: very willing to work with the Commonwealth around different vaccines
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: to protect our community.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: Okay, we've had a listener get in contact who is
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: keen to ask how the wastewater testing is going. Has
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: there been any COVID detected in any of our waste waters?
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: So, Katie, we have commenced a trial as a part
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: of a national program for wastewater testing and when ten
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: sampling catchment sites right across for the Dullwin metropolitan and
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: we have got those. You know, they would be the
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: sewage places that you would seepect Leanna Stuart Highway, Middle Beach.
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: But we have got it out at Howard Springs. We've
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: been able to isolate the pump station out there so
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: that we know that when we get positive there. It's
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: coming from the quarantine facility, but I haven't had advice
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: that there's been wastewater positivity in other locations as of yet.
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: Okay, I have got another question here from a listener.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Are those wharfees still in quarantine that were affected about
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: a I guess it was about a week or so ago.
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: Tell you this was a really difficult one, and I've
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: certainly met with the union that represents those wharfees with stevedores,
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: and I certainly really feel for them. But yes, they
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: are still as I understand, at Howard Springs, the chief
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: host officer has reviewed this thoroughly and believes that in
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: the interests of Territorians that they need to remain in quarantine.
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: So I certainly can understand the frustrations that they've got,
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: but these are the steps we have to take to
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: keep our community.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: Say, yeah, why is it that they have to remain
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: in quarantine? Like I get that they obviously didn't have
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: the PPE or you know, the PPE requirements had changed.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: Or whatever had happened there.
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: But if the people that they were then getting on
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: that vessel to service tested negative, why do they have
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: to go into quarantine?
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: So Katie the Chief Help's officer has made this declaration
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: and that would be questions for him. He was worried
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: about the environment that they're working in, him the potential
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: risk of territorians and so I think this shows that
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: it doesn't matter where it is, we won't hesitate to act.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: But in terms of those specifics, I would urge you
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: to contact Anti Health all right.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: On another note, we have spoken about the situation in
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: estimates last week with the KAC commissioner's comments on a whistleblower.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: A report in the paper today that a whistleblower who
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: reported allegations of inappropriate conduct within the Anti Corruption watchdog
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: has asked to formally respond to the ka Commissioner Ken
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Fleming's comments before hearing last week. Now, this whistleblowers barrister
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: John Lawrence sc had delivered that request to Budget Estimates
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: Committee Chairman Joel last night, amid calls by the COLP
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: for a public inquiry into the IKX Commission all the operations.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Just firstly, is the government going to grant leave for
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: that whistleblower to make a submission and also present evidence, So.
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: Katie, that would be a question for the chair of
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: the Estimates Committee I'm just a person that is called
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: to provide evidence to that committee as a minister. So
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: it's an unusual situation. Typically ministers are quite involved in process,
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: but when it comes to the process of the Parliament,
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: we are just you know, CAUs as a witness to
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: provide evidence. So that would be a question for the
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: chair of the Estimates Committee.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: Do you reckon it should happen?
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: Though, Katy, it would be very inappropriate for me to
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: place comments on the actions of a committee. We have
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: committees right across the Parliament. They act in a bipartisan
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: manner and so I'm not involved in that committee. I'm
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: not a member of that committee. As I said, have
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: just appeared as a witness.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: Now, the CLP opposition is demanding a full scale parliamentary
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: probe in to the IKAK Act, not a closed store
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: in house audit by the Gunner government. They say they
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: reckon Territorians have lost confidence in the IKA Commissioner and
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: the Commission following a range of errors in process and judgment.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: Now do you think that there does need to be
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: a full scale parliamentary probe, Katie.
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: I think it's very important that the Parliament doesn't interfere
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: That would be a dangerous precedent. But what I can
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: say is it's not just a gunner government trobe into
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: the ik It is a full styale review by Greg Shanahan,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: someone that has fulfilled a number of high level positions,
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: someone that is always active in the best interests of
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: the territory, and so he is conducting that review. And
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: we believe at this point that that review is adequate.
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: But would it be appropriate, you know, to maybe have
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: a member of the government, a member of the opposition
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: and an independent you know, work through with a body
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: to make sure that you know that we really get
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: it right with the IKAK.
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: I don't think so. This gave Katy. So Greg Shanahan,
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: in his work is meeting with a number of representatives
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: and so he certainly is meeting with a range of
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: people to inform his report. So I believe at this
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: point his report is adequate.
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: Okay.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: The CORP says the Chief Minister should not be conducting
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: a review in secret and needs to be reminded the
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: Anti Corruption Watchdog is not a government tool.
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: O, Katie. I think that the comments that I've just made,
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: I don't want to sound repetitive I know that that
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: annoys your listeners, but it is not a secret review.
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: It is being conducted by someone who's got a lot
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: of experience in this face, a lot of legal experience,
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: and they've been involved in legislation, so they'll be looking
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: at the legislation and the role of the IKAK and
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: how it's rolled out in being formed in the territory.
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: And as we sort of we've had this in place
• 12:41
  Speaker 3: for a couple of years, do changes need to be
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: made and what are those changes?
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: I mean, do you reckon though that there needs to
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: be the opportunity for public submissions, you know, and also
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: maybe public hearings.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: Okay. I believe that the review that is taking place
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: is adequate at this point, and it's certainly been conducted
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: by someone high level. They're looking at a range of
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: information in making their review and their recommendations, and I
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: believe that's adequate.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister for Health and also Minister for Tourism,
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: Natasha Files, it's always good to catch up with you.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: We appreciate your.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Time this morning. Thank you, thank you. You're listening to
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: Mix one OW four point nine is three sixty