ALLISON LANGDON:
South Australia has been locked out by half the country after recording a worrying spike in cases. Overnight that cluster growing by just one.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd joins us now from Canberra. Professor, thank you for your time again. Some have called the border closures a knee-jerk reaction but with what we saw in South Australia, do you think that is fair?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, I think what we’ve seen in South Australia is a really magnificent response, a very rapid response to the diagnoses and the contact tracers obviously moving in and doing their job, exactly as they should. And most importantly, Karl, the people of Adelaide doing as they should and lining up to get tested. Congratulations to everybody.
ALLISON LANGDON:
I mean, to see the state quickly accept ADF support with this; they've placed hundreds in isolation. It is- they’ve had, what, more than six months now with no cases. It's a good lesson for all of Australia, isn't it?
MICHAEL KIDD:
It is a good lesson. You know, we are still in the grip of the global pandemic and COVID-19 is raging out of control very sadly in many countries around the world and we need to be prepared. We expected we were going to get further outbreaks as we continued to have people coming into Australia, both returning travellers, but also those importing and exporting our goods for us. We knew that we were going to get further cases and that's what's happened. And we've seen a very swift and rapid response with the testing, contact tracing, isolating and the public doing their part as well.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Look, we had the boss of the aged care facility in South Australia where they’ve had two cases. He confirmed overnight that there are two more. That's a big concern as we all know from the Victorian experience in aged care facilities. Are you confident they've got that handled?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, clearly we’re very concerned whenever there are cases that are linked to residential aged care facilities. These are the people who are most vulnerable and most at risk of COVID-19. In South Australia, we already have set up the South Australian Aged Care Response Centre based on the response centres set up by the Victorian Government and the Commonwealth during the outbreak in Melbourne. The aged care facilities across South Australia have been preparing for these outbreaks and we've seen very swift action with the staff all wearing PPE, the visitation rights, the visitation access rather being dramatically reduced in order to protect the population.
ALLISON LANGDON:
When you look at the exposure here, that this has come from one person, then it’s shared amongst what is quite a large family. But you have one who works in the prison system, someone in aged care, you’ve got it now in a couple of primary schools that have been closed for cleaning, a shopping centre and a hospital, I mean, it’s kind of worst case scenario here, isn’t it, as to how many people this family’s been exposed to?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Yes, this is a large family and the virus spread very quickly between the family members and the family members, as you say, many of them are working in areas which are particularly at risk of outbreaks of COVID-19. But again, we’ve seen the very rapid response in those centres, with people being isolated, people arranging to get tested and doing all that we can to prevent any further outbreaks.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
The reality is, I mean, we’re seeing this vision here of people lining up and whilst it is disturbing and I’m sure they’re anxious, everyone who’s lining up to get a test. It’s also reassuring that people are so on to it. But, given we’re coming up to the summer period, given we’re coming up to Christmas holidays, people will want to kind of know if they can holiday, if they can go and see their family around Christmas time. How long do you give this little period here, before you can say with any kind of accuracy, you know, what, we’re going to be okay to do that in three or four weeks?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Yes, I think we need to see what happens over the next 24, 48 hours. A large number of tests were carried out yesterday, I’m sure a large number of tests will be carried out today as well. We need to see the results, most importantly, we need to see if there’s been community transmission. So, transmission beyond the family members and their immediate contacts and that will give us a bit of an idea as to what’s going to happen over the coming weeks. But, it is a very worrying time; it’s a very disrupting time for everybody. But, I guess that’s been the pattern of 2020.
ALLISON LANGDON:
And just quickly before you go, Professor, do you have any concerns about a packed stadium at the State of Origin on Wednesday night?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, one of the things that we know about the stadiums and the sporting events is that they are controlled and they are being carried out in a COVID-safe way. So, I’m confident that the authorities will be putting their COVID safe plan in place and making sure that that event is as safe as possible for the people taking part.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Just disregard that question, that was just a Blues supporter.
ALLISON LANGDON:
[Talks over] No, I think- [Laughs] I don’t want a crowd there, it’s only going to help Queensland.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Thank you Michael, lovely to see you.
MICHAEL KIDD:
Thanks guys.
Contact
