Liberals must increase testing for COVID-19

Tasmanian Labor
  • All Tasmanians showing symptoms should be tested
  • Premier must heed warnings of World Health Organization
  • Tasmania needs more test kits and ventilators
  • Labor is calling on the Premier to urgently increase the number of Tasmanians being tested for COVID-19.

    Labor Leader Rebecca White said all Tasmanians showing symptoms of the virus should be tested.

    “Tasmania has the second lowest testing rate in the country and we must urgently step up these measures to ensure everyone with symptoms is tested, not just those who have travelled from overseas or interstate or had contact with a confirmed case,” Ms White said.

    “The World Health Organization has warned that without a large-scale effort to test and trace coronavirus, the disease can spread quickly and silently throughout the community.

    “Today, the Premier was unable to answer how many test kits Tasmania has and whether it is enough to undertake broad-scale testing.

    “I urge Peter Gutwein to make it a priority to secure more test kits and other items like ventilators, which are essential to treat people who have their health severely compromised by the virus. Today it was confirmed that Tasmania has just 50 ventilators.

    “It’s not good enough for the Premier to just rely on assurances from Canberra that Tasmania will have access to the national stockpile.

    “We cannot afford to squander the opportunity we have been given to save lives and get ahead of this virus by virtue of geography and early actions.”

    Rebecca White MP

    Labor Leader

    /Public Release. View in full here.