VENTING CONCERNS
The adviser responsible for reviewing Australia’s quarantine system, former health department secretary
Jane Halton, has recommended every hotel in use be re-assessed for the risk of aerosol transmission, with
Guardian Australia noting Perth’s Mercure Perth hotel was deemed “high risk” ahead of this month’s outbreak due to poor ventilation. The Western Australian government yesterday announced it would shut
the Mercure and two other hotels due to poor ventilation.
Elsewhere,
The New Daily reports that ACTU assistant secretary
Liam O’Brien has called on Health Minister
Greg Hunt to urgently immunise thousands of aged and disability care staff. While the government had planned to fully vaccinate all 678,000 high-risk workers and care residents in Phase 1a, O’Brien notes current figures include less than 10% of workers, some of whom have gone to GPs rather than the schedule’s in-reach workplace program.
The news comes ahead of a World Trade Organisation meeting tomorrow over India and South Africa’s push to suspend vaccine patent rights until after the pandemic, which is supported by more than 115 countries but, as
Croakey explains, is opposed by the Morrison government along with seven other richer nations.
PS: After recording its deadliest day ever, India’s official death toll has
surged past 200,000.
