Isolate, contain, crush and save

#isolatecontaincrushsave

AMA Tasmania welcomes the announcement today from the government that Tasmanians will have access to medi-hotel resource to self-isolate where home isolation is not possible.

AMA Tasmania Vice President, Dr John Davis adds “very early in this COVID-19 fight, AMA Tasmania members identified the importance of this model and has been actively campaigning for a facility such as this to be opened. Medi-hotel rooms must be open and operational within the next 24 hours. There is no reason for any further delay.

“Home isolation is not feasible for people who cannot have a separate bedroom and bathroom from the rest of their family. True self-isolation means limited contact with other members of the family. The best way to achieve this is to use the accommodation provided by the government.

“This will save lives, and it can protect our economy and Tasmanian livelihoods.”

The functional model of operational use must urgently back the availability of hotel facilities for housing medi-hotel isolation accommodation to support patients while infectious with COVID-19.

• ISOLATE the virus through strict isolation of patients while infectious;
• CONTAIN the virus by rigorous infection control hygiene to prevent household viral contamination while patients are infectious;
• CRUSH the epidemic curve at the earliest stage to prevent exponential spread;
• SAVE lives by preventing health system overload and save the economy by preventing the need for a protracted and extreme whole of population lockdowns

We have the facilities and the power to do this, and it needs to be operational NOW.

We can attack viral contamination with precision and deny the virus the opportunity to spread. We can do this in Tasmania. We can lead the way for Australia.  

In addition to our existing approach (border quarantine, rigorous case contact tracing, public hygiene and social distancing education and enforcement), the extra measure of ensuring strict isolation of all patients while infectious, particularly by urgently promoting the medi-hotel isolation model for containing viral transfer and reducing household contamination is needed to stop new local community transmission chains developing.

Finally, if a member of the public believes they should be in a medi-hotel you must ring the Public Health Hotline - Tasmania 1800 671 738.

AMA Tasmania Media contacts:

AMA Tasmania Vice President – Dr John Davis – 0488 142 033

AMA Tasmania COMMS – Nadine Cove – 0409 159 285