Amidst Corona Testing Failures Essential Workers Told Return to Work
Essential Workers can be required to be at work before fully
recovering from Covid-19. Similarly those exposed to covid cases. Article highlights
implications for community infection spread from this failure by authorities to
properly plan for adequate supply of antigen test kits and also workforce
issues leading to permanent closure of significant pathology test centres over
East. It questions the neglect by State & Federal Governments in planning
for pathology workforce prior to implementing open borders. Article suggests
that Omicron spread has been further aided by this neglect. As migrant communities over-represented in
essential frontline roles, concern with inadequacies in public health
prevention ought to catch our attention.
Return to Work Amidst RAT Supply
Failure
Many Australian workers are now mandated by Government and employers to attend work even if they have Corona infection or exposed to it so long as they don’t show symptoms (except for WA). This requirement in the absence of universal access to Rapid Antigen Test (RATS) kits by the general population is risking infecting colleagues, families and communities.
What does this mean and why should you care? First, migrants undertake significant essential frontline work. So these matters affect them at home, work and their networks.
Second, you should care and be aware that it can mean a Waiter at a café serving your coffee could be on roster even if they have Covid-19. A worker at your local Chemist shop, a Flight Attendant serving you during travel, a teacher or childcare worker may be infected yet they are expected to mind our children.
Government (Federal and States) believe requiring people to work when they no longer show symptoms or are exposed is necessary to stabilise “critical supply sectors and supply chains” for the benefit of society [See link for Essential Services Guidance].
Sure, supply of goods and services need to flow smoothly as much as possible. But there is much more to what is happening now that raises questions.
Ironically, Governments relaxed Covid-19 isolation safety rules at the same time largely chose not to make arrangements for the general Australian population to have access to antigen corona test kits when needed. Although some essential workers get access to kits, they do not live in vacuum from the rest of the community. Infections have no boundaries. Even the National Cabinet in making these rules agrees that “in the context of community transmission risk cannot be eliminated and that exposures will occur” [See National Cabinet Statement]. So how about making sure Rapid Antigen Tests kits are easily available at pharmacies and appropriate shops?
Australian Invented Test Kits Ignored
at Home, Largely Used for Used for Export Markets?
You wouldn’t know
some antigen test technology was invented right here in Australia a while ago. Yet
countries like the UK, Singapore, even the US have access to test kits.
Queensland-made and partly tax-payer funded rapid antigen manufacturer has been supplying test kits to the US for a whole year [Source: Brisbane Times]. The US wisely arranged to procure these kits and Voice of America News reported this far back in late 2020 [Source: Voice of America].
Also it is clear from the Queensland official reports that Australian-made test kits have been on the export market to Europe as highlighted by the QLD Government on this link: Statement by Queensland Government.
It seems our National Cabinet did not make similar
extensive procurement arrangements. For more info see reports in Brisbane
Times [See Brisbane Times].
So the NSW Coalition Government and the Victoria
Labor Governments decided to open their borders with blessings and
encouragement from the Australian Federal Government. It would appear they saw the
vaccine strategy as the one panacea and means of infection control. Why is that
simple and affordable DIY at home test kits ignored? It is odd. And it can’t be
only for the cost. They could have used a mixture of user-pays charging those
with ability to pay and subsidies for those on concession. But first and
foremost they should have accumulated and stored adequate stocks.
Yet prevention is a basic tenet of any healthcare
intervention. And we have known for many, many months about the role of antigen
kits in preventing spread. That is if people can easily self-test and take
precaution that makes it less likely for them to spread Covid-19. Accessible
and affordable test kits surely helps with economic imperatives.
Take example of healthcare workers in hospital
settings being asked to return to work before full recovery or after suspected
Covid-19 exposure. Same with workers in manufacturing sites, aged care and
disability workers. Even if these workers are supplied with test kits, the fact
that the rest of the community is refused access means infection spread is
allowed to happen in the community with any self or public monitoring and
surveillance.
People want to do the right thing by testing
themselves so they can avoid spreading the disease to others. It is no rocket
science that by Governments refusing the rest of community to have easy access
to antigen test kits; this opens room for increased infection spread surely.
Closure of pathology test sites at critical time
Strangely Australia also saw permanent closure of
pathology testing sites in Eastern states during the same time. Some reports
indicated at least 28 NSW pathology centres got permanently closed in December
and other sites temporarily reduced opening hours during the December/January
holiday season.
In Victoria, in one instance 100,000 samples taken
could no longer be processed due to staff shortages.
Obviously workers at pathology sites were bound to
get exhausted after heavy workloads demands through the year. They too need a
break. But this doesn’t get politicians off the hook. How hard was it to foresee
that pathology centres will be swamped with demand if you just open up everything
in NSW and Victoria at once without any prevention measures?
And it is puzzling that the National Cabinet did not think these arrangements will impact testing centres and did not seem to put in place any contingency plans as they speedily opened up NSW and Victoria.
No
planning prior to opening borders
Lack of planning prior to opening borders leaves a lot to be desired. It is understandable for Governments to care about maintaining the running of the economy. But the Federal and State Governments ignored their responsibilities to facilitate planning beforehand for workforce development and ensuring timely availability of Rapid Antigen Test kits.
Workforce development had been highlighted and indicated way back early in the pandemic phase. So it is hard to see why and how these key tiers of Governments with significant healthcare and policy expertise, advisers and secretariats would not see this one coming.
We don’t expect the PM or individual Premiers to have a preserve of knowledge across every issue in fine detail. But society pays for the bureaucracy that resources and advices them. Their planning policy staff and advisors and Think Tanks they fund or whoever they choose to sit at decision-making table. But when all is said and done, it is fair for us to expect the Federal and State leaders and their Ministers to have been across their briefs on importance of workforce planning and RATS a very long time before borders were opened.
Previously Queensland came under a lot of pressure from the media, NSW Government, and the Feds for delaying border opening. The Queensland former Chief Officer Dr Jeannette Young was accused of not abiding by the National Plan to open borders. And QLD was told by the Feds to just follow the Doherty institute Modelling that informed the National Plan for opening borders [See report by 7 News].
The media also exerted massive pressure almost on daily basis wanting to see open borders but lacked coverage in scrutinising planning or lack of [See coverage by UK Daily Mail].
But even then it was clear whatever National Plan the country had in place was fairly inadequate. For example, Dr Young was quoted saying “It’s not a simple, straightforward process. You can’t just pick something and say it’ll lead to something else…You’ve got to look at all of the issues. It’s not a simplistic thing” [Source: 7 News]
Unfortunately broadly speaking the media by narrowly treating border opening as an issue of ‘yes’ or ‘no’, this reinforced lack of accountability for State & Federal Governments. And clearly, not even the Opposition parties chose to set a public agenda at the time to ensure the Federal Government could be scrutinised on above points. Antigen test kits ought to have been properly planned for and procured well before the Omicron variant arrived. After all Delta was already here.
I suppose we can take from this that National Planning is not adequately informed by comprehensive public health prevention from across the spectrum. It is skewed and largely relies on vaccinations as panacea. And this gets odd when it is accompanied by closure of 28 pathology testing centres in NSW Coalition-led State & Labor-led Victoria throwing out a hundred thousands of samples or giving people wrong results. It would appear lack of planning for workforce development is also implicated in the closures.
Conclusion
Lack of planning, testing failures and a
requirement to work when a person could be corona-infected or exposed is a
problem. It raises questions in my view about inadequate consideration to
factors influencing infection spread and its effects for different groups.
This approach pays less regards to the plight of
essential workers in frontline roles such as hospitals, disability, aged care, food
processing industries, childcare, and so forth. The approach also overlooks
ramifications service users including the elderly in aged care.
I think we need to be speaking up about these
things as community people. If these workers are put in situations that
facilitate rapid spread of covid-19, the ramifications are far-reaching for
their networks and families.
The impacts are even far-reaching for people with
disability and vulnerable elderly people. As the data already shows, people
with disability and the elderly are overly represented in Covid-19 death rates.
If we can reduce death rates from simple things such as being serious in making
antigen test kits universally accessible, why not do it?
Omicron may be spreading fast, but in conclusion
the following factors would seem to have all played part in accelerating Omicron spread in
Australia. Doing something about these factors could have reduced the rate of
spread and loss of life.
- Closure of pathology centres at peak of Omicron
- Inadequate preparation and timely community supply of Rapid Antigen Tests
- Mandating people to work before full recovery from Covid-19 or when they have been exposed
- Lack of adequate surveillance of infection spread and containment by denying the community timely testing and self-isolation.
Let's be asking all the powers that be in our States and Federal level to ensure we can easily get Rapid Antigen Kits at local Pharmacies and at appropriate shops. They are all responsible in my view - Federal & State.
References:
Almost 100,000
Victorians told they will not get their PCR test results. https://www.9news.com.au/national/around-100000-victorians-told-they-will-not-get-their-pcr-test-results-from-melbourne-pathology-and-australian-clinical-labs/88ca51aa-478b-4afe-a517-ea5d37275df9.
Annastacia Palaszczuk refuses to open Queensland's international border until 90% are vaccinated despite health advice it would be safe FAR earlier. Daily Mail. 8 November 2021. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10175549/Queensland-international-borders-closed-90-cent-jab-rate.html .
Lurking Delta Threat. 28 NSW Covid Testing Sites to Close Due to Demand. Channel 9 Today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41jZ3xZAgNw
National Cabinet Statement. Media Statement. 13
January 2022. https://www.pm.gov.au/media/national-cabinet-statement-63
QLD border reopening remains unknown despite huge
pressure on premier to commit to plan. 7 News. 27 September 2021.https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/qld-border-reopening-remains-unknown-despite-huge-pressure-on-premier-to-commit-to-plan-c-4080122
Queensland-made rapid antigen
tests going to US until midyear.Brisbane Times. December 30, 2021https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-made-rapid-antigen-tests-going-to-us-until-midyear-20211229-p59kny.html
Qld company’s 15-min rapid
Covid-19 test takes fight to Europe. Queensland Government. The Qld Government
Ministerial Directory. 12 April, 2021. https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91869
US FDA Approves Australian COVID-19 Self-Test
Kit https://www.voanews.com/a/east-asia-pacific_us-fda-approves-australian-covid-19-self-test-kit/6199707.html. December 18,
2020
Victorians waiting seven days for COVID test results told
samples ‘no longer suitable’. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/test-samples-no-longer-suitable-after-seven-day-wait-20220108-p59ms1.html
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