Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Friday announced the federal government would put $180 million towards home treatment for asymptomatic and mild COVID cases.
It came as he predicted Australia would pass 80 per cent full-vaccination in its 16-and-over population, triggering Phase C in the national reopening plan, within the next 10 days.
Amid concerns over Australia's hospital capacity with a spike in cases looming, Mr Hunt said high-vaccination uptake would allow many cases to be dealt with at home.
MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
Senator Gallagher welcomed the development but described it as a "little bit late", having raised the issue months ago at parliament's COVID-19 committee. She warned Canberrans to stock up on key items - thermometers, Neurofen, disinfectant, pulse oximeters and ice blocks - in preparation for reopening.
"It really does put restrictions [on you]. You can't just run down to the shops and get something that you might need, so preparation [is key]," she told The Canberra Times.
"It was only because of my pharmacist and my GP that I was able to put that all together while under quite strict quarantine."
Senator Gallagher said it was also vital parents began educating themselves on symptoms. She used telehealth seven days a week, and was coached through how to keep Evie's fever steady and check her colouring correctly.
"I've been a health minister for eight years, I've been a parent for 24 years and I've done my fair share of childhood illnesses. But I was not prepared for how it manifested," she said.
"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have that medical advice on hand. I think we would have ended up in hospital.
"I'm incredibly, incredibly grateful to [my GP], because I think it would have been a lot scarier without her. It was scary enough."
During Evie's infectious period, Senator Gallagher was trying to prevent her unvaccinated son contracting the virus, forcing her to use extra layers of PPE protection.
That would be less of an issue as vaccination among 12- to 15-year-olds continued to climb, she said.
Young people were less likely to suffer severe illness or death from COVID-19. Senator Gallagher reassured parents the "vast majority" of cases in adolescents were mild.
But she cautioned against "trivialising" the effect of the virus on young people. Evie suffered particularly severe symptoms for a person her age and, days from her return to school, was still experiencing lingering effects.
"I think we will have to have some sort of arrangement for her, because I'm not sure she can have a full day at school," she said.
"She's still largely without her smell and that affects her taste. She still needs to sleep during the day ... It's really taken its toll on her."
Mr Hunt said a shift towards home treatment for COVID-19 was inevitable as the vaccine rollout gathered pace.
"We always knew we were coming to this moment ... it's the next phase as we open up," he said.
MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
The federal government's package covered pulse oximeters for in-home treatment, alerting authorities if a patient's mild symptoms worsened. Funds will also go towards nurses and GPs carrying out home check-ups.
There will be a $25 Medicare bonus for GPs treating patients face-to-face, to cover the cost of extra cleaning necessitated by COVID-19.
Chief midwifery officer Alison McMillan assured Australians that, while mild cases would be treated at home, patients were not being abandoned.
"There'll be services there to support you if you do test positive, and to make sure that you stay well. If for any reason you might deteriorate, we can identify that," she said.
By Friday, 87.9 per cent of Australians aged 16 or over had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 76.2 per cent were fully vaccinated.
More than 91 per cent of ACT residents in that age range had received both doses.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram