Dr Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Health spokesperson
AMA president, Dr John Saul has confirmed Covid is causing chaos is Tasmanian hospitals. Doctors, nurses and paramedics are dropping like flies with Covid infection, unable to do their life-saving work.
When we asked the Premier and alleged Health Minister in Question Time how he could justify giving a “low risk” rating for Covid infection to Tasmanians, and making no changes to help people protect themselves, he resorted to early 2020 advice.
Despite three years of evidence that Covid is an airborne virus, which can damage all organs and have long-term impacts, our Liberal Health Minister’s best advice is to take personal responsibility, follow health advice and wash your hands.
There’s been no visible public health advice to Tasmanians since July last year. When it comes to the highly infectious airborne coronavirus, hand washing is about as useless as the Premier’s hand wringing.
Last week’s national surveillance data show Tasmania had the highest Covid rate in the country. Given there’s no longer a requirement to report cases and accurate PCR testing has been publicly discontinued, the real figure is, of course, far higher.
Today, Jeremy Rockliff diminished even the AMA’s concerns for health workers getting Covid for the third time, risking long-term debilitating health effects. It’s very clear he has been more preoccupied with his unneeded and unwanted billion dollar stadium than his critical health responsibilities.