We are committed to ensuring everyone is able to access health supports when they need it.
The Greens (WA) are calling on the WA State Government to commit to providing people with more support before opening up Western Australia to interstate and international visitors.
The 11 point plan, announced by Australian Greens Health Spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John and Greens (WA) Health Spokesperson Brad Pettitt MLC, will ensure everyone is able to access prevention measures, and the financial and health supports they need to recover from COVID-19.
For Western Australia to safely transition to an open border we must ensure that these key points are met to keep our community safe
- Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) and N95 Masks made available to households through an online ordering system, with delivery to home, or collection from GP or pharmacy.
- State Government to urgently provide First Nations communities with the resources and funding needed to address issues around vaccine supply, distribution, hesitancy, and education. All solutions must be led by communities and elders, not the police.
- Increased community health campaign to ensure as many people as possible are able to receive their vaccinations, including First Nations People, Children and Disabled People.
- State Government to ensure all households receive clear communication on how to prepare for and look after yourself and others when diagnosed with COVID.
- State Government to provide payments to support people to remain in isolation while awaiting the result of a PCR test, and after testing positive to a PCR test or RAT ($320 while awaiting the result, and $320 after testing positive)
- State Government to provide lost income support to individuals who do not have access to leave arrangements while recovering from covid-19 ($500 per 7 days required to isolate) and a small business assistance grant.
- State Government to provide payments to individuals to support them if they are required to quarantine out-of-home.
- Grants to businesses to improve ventilation (including installing fans and carbon dioxide monitors) and installation of HEPA filters.
- WA Health to provide support for those who experience long-covid including the establishment of specialist Post-Covid Clinics to bring together a range of healthcare professionals, and increased provision of allied health services.
- WA Health to continue to list exposure sites and have a RAT reporting system
- Funding to ensure that covid positive asymptomatic carers, including in aged-care and disability care, are not required to care for non-covid positive people (can care for covid positive people).
We want to see WA be in the best position to safely open up to the rest of the country and internationally. Delaying the border reopening is only the first step for a COVID ready WA. We need to see the State Government commit to a real plan to keep our community safe.
As we see community cases of COVID-19 it is important to stay up to date on potential exposure sites by checking HealthyWA.