Greens spokesperson for Health and Corrective Services Hon Alison Xamon MLC has urged the Government to ensure measures for reducing the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and detention centres are included in the suite of COVID-19 related legislation to go before Parliament next week.
Hon Xamon said the Government had alerted Parliamentarians to a suite of legal reforms relating to coronavirus which would be introduced next week - but as yet the full detail has not been made available.
Greens spokesperson for Justice Hon Alison Xamon MLC has today called for stricter measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in WA courts, while preserving access to justice for the most disadvantaged Western Australians.
"Many courts in the eastern states have put a halt on personal appearances unless there are exceptional circumstances," said Hon Xamon.
Greens spokesperson for Community Services Hon Alison Xamon MLC has called on the Government to ensure that community workers caring for vulnerable people have immediate access to personal protective equipment (PPE) as the country grapples with the coronavirus crisis.
Hon Xamon said she was very concerned at reports that employees providing essential personal care supports to seniors and people with disability were not being given access to masks, gloves and other PPE.
Greens spokesperson for Education Hon Alison Xamon MLC has backed the State School Teachers Union of WA, calling on the WA Government to take immediate action to close WA public schools to the majority of students.
Hon Xamon said it was not known how many students already had COVID-19 – or what the overall rate of infection was, because testing regimes continued to exclude those not showing symptoms.
Greens spokesperson for Corrective Services and Health Hon Alison Xamon MLC has called on the Government to ensure its plan to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic extends to the state’s overcrowded prisons.
Hon Xamon said her questions in Parliament this week revealed Government run Hakea Prison was significantly understaffed including, notably, in health-related roles.
She said she was concerned to learn the prison had vacancies for two FTE clinical nurses, one FTE pharmacist, one FTE nurse practitioner and three FTE prisoner medical officers.
