Portable isolation rooms to further protect country residents

  • Six portable isolation anterooms to be deployed to regional WA hospitals to assist in keeping country residents safe from COVID-19
  • Anterooms prevent the transmission of viruses by isolating patients where required  
  • A further four anterooms available as backup to existing metropolitan hospital isolation rooms 
  • The McGowan Government has bolstered Western Australia’s emergency preparedness for COVID-19 with 10 portable isolation anterooms.

    Six of the anterooms will be deployed to keep regional and remote Western Australians safe from the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

    A further four portable anterooms will be held in a central location for deployment to WA metropolitan hospitals, if necessary.

    The Safespear portable anterooms can convert any room into a negative pressure or positive pressure isolation room to keep infected patients in a safe, separate space, as well as protecting vulnerable patients from the threat of infectious diseases.

    Safespear is a local Western Australian, Aboriginal-owned business which is engaging with local manufacturers to create the anterooms.

    The anterooms fit to an existing doorway and form an airlock entrance with the accompanying ventilation systems creating negative or positive pressure to prevent infectious airborne or droplet transmission.

    The portable anterooms will be deployed to WA Country Health Service locations including: Derby in the Kimberley; Carnarvon and Geraldton in the Midwest health region; Esperance in the Goldfields; Katanning in the Great Southern; and Collie in the South-West.

    Given the portable nature of this specialised equipment, the anterooms can be transported quickly to other sites if required. 

    The investment is in addition to the $10 million announced last week to increase the supply of locally made personal protective equipment.

    As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:

    “Although Western Australia’s COVID-19 case numbers remain very encouraging, we cannot afford to become complacent.

    “The McGowan Government remains committed to ensuring that we are well equipped and prepared to respond to any infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

    “Residents in regional WA can be confident the McGowan Government has a plan in place, providing a blueprint for the ongoing management of COVID-19.    

    “By securing the portable anterooms, Western Australia will be even better prepared to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in regional and remote communities where hospital isolation room facilities are limited or unavailable.”

    /Public Release. View in full here.