The police union is calling for officers to be given priority testing for COVID-19, amid concerns that one positive case could cause major disruptions to the local force.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian Federal Police Association says officers should be treated like healthcare workers, who can be tested for coronavirus if they report respiratory and fever symptoms.
The general population is only tested if they meet one of six criteria, including that they have returned from overseas with flu-like symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed case.
Union president Angela Smith said it was imperative that police officers were able to be tested as soon as they developed symptoms.
She said early testing and detection would provide "reassurance" to officers and help to guard against the spread of the virus within the force and wider community.
Police will be called to enforce new bans on group gatherings, which carry a fine of up to $8000.
"ACT Policing isn't so fully staffed that it could afford to lose five or six members for 14 days - that's an entire squad," she said.
"We've been lucky so far that we haven't had a police officer test positive, but I suspect that will happen at some point. If someone falls sick they could contaminate the whole squad.
"Does that mean an entire station has to shut down?"
Opposition emergency services spokeswoman Giulia Jones last week wrote to Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith to call for police officers to be granted priority testing.
"Given the increasing likelihood that they will be relied on for enforcement of quarantine and/or social distancing requirements, I believe priority testing for police officers is a reasonable thing to occur," Mrs Jones wrote in the email.
The police union also wants the ACT government to follow Western Australia's lead and create a specific offence to punish people who claim to be inflected with COVID-19 while assaulting emergency service workers.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can sign up for our twice-daily digest here.
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
