Contact Tracers Are 8 Days Late
Earlier this week, Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, spoke in the Parliament of Victoria about a Geelong constituent who was notified by contact tracers six days after he had been in a Tier 1 COVID-19 exposure site.
It was an extraordinary story given the Victorian Government has lauded the efficient work of the QR system and it’s contact tracers. In truth it has boasted about its abilities.
However, since exposing the Geelong debacle, Mrs McArthur has received an avalanche of similar stories, and some with 8-day delays.
“This Victorian system is obviously not working, and no wonder the government feels it has to lock people down,” Mrs McArthur said.
“The Andrews Government keeps making the mistakes, and Victorians keep paying for them, either via lockdowns, business failures, mental health decline, school closures, fines or border restrictions that keep residents from coming home.
“One constituent in Barwon Heads was notified six days after attending a tier 2 exposure site.
“Someone in Ocean Grove was not notified until five days after attending a tier 2 exposure site.
“A gentleman in Bacchus Marsh was not notified until eight days after attending a tier 1 exposure site.
“A Ballarat resident was notified eight days late. She was also met with an six hour testing wait at one site – and even worse at the Victoria Park site.
“A man from Geelong was not notified until eight days after attending a tier 1 exposure site.
“Another constituent was contacted a full five days after attending a tier 1 exposure site, and I could go on. This shambolic system needs to be addressed immediately,” she said.
Mrs McArthur said the QR failing is just one of the problems not being dealt with by the Victorian Minister for Health, Martin Foley and his contact tracing aficionado, Commander, Jeroen Weimar.
“The minister has failed to answer a mass of parliamentary questions.
“There are 455 unanswered questions that are now overdue. 179 of them are more than four months overdue, 145 are more than six months overdue and 62 are more than 12 months overdue.
“Ministerial accountability is seemingly dead in this state. It seems they have nothing but contempt for the Parliament and the people.”
Mrs McArthur also took the opportunity in her parliamentary question to the Minister to plead with him to reject the Victorian AMA’s call to maintain restrictions until two weeks after 80 per cent of those aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated.
“This is insane, surely.
“Victorians deserve their freedom back today, not in 2022.
“Health advice must be balanced with other vital considerations, including economic and psychological.
“I have asked the Minister to fix these problems and answer some questions.”
17 September 2021
