Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
The Gutwein Government needs to follow Victoria’s lead and give healthcare workers in the public system a COVID allowance in recognition of the huge additional stress they now face daily.
Before Covid, Tasmania’s healthcare workers were already dealing with a system under terrible strain, and heroically trying to hold things together in the face of government neglect.
With an increasing number of health care workers now infected or having to isolate, the strain is even greater.
Health staff are being forced to make huge sacrifices in order to keep the system functioning. They’re working for hours on end in uncomfortable PPE, making lifestyle changes in an attempt to avoid Covid infection so they can keep working, filling roles they never signed up for, being asked to take on significantly greater responsibilities at work, can’t take the breaks they need, and being asked to cancel their leave.
Having created this mess by opening the border prematurely, the Gutwein Government needs to recognise the heroic efforts of health workers, and the fact they are going way above and beyond their regular duties. Providing a Covid allowance for each shift worked by staff is surely the least Peter Gutwein can do.
We know healthcare workers will always do their best to help keep Tasmanians safe no matter the circumstances, but it would be great if their often-thankless contributions were properly recognised by government, for a change.