Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

The correct answer is 53. We have 50 pop-up roving clinics in Victoria, which for some reason the opposition doesn't seem to believe is an important way to vaccinate workers. To put all of this in context: the goal of all of these vaccinations, the goal of all of the policies in Australia, is to protect lives. We have seen the world pass two million lives lost to COVID this year, 2021. The World Health Organization believes that the real figure is likely two to three times the official figure. In Australia, no person has caught COVID in this nation and died during the course of 2021. We have had one person who developed COVID in quarantine, having had it incubate there, having contracted it overseas. But having lost not one life in this country to COVID at a time when two million people officially, and probably closer to five million people unofficially, around the world have lost theirs is one of the most extraordinary public health achievements in Australia's history. I think that that is something that this nation can reflect upon with immense pride. And, yes, there are always challenges. But the fact that we have been able to offer vaccinations to residents in 100 per cent of aged-care facilities and second doses have been delivered to 95 per cent of facilities, and that not one Australian in this country has caught COVID and passed at a time when more than two million worldwide have lost their lives this year is one of Australia's great public health achievements.

I want to thank all of our workers—our aged-care workers, our health workers, our medical workers and our GPs. Together they have saved lives and protected lives on a grand scale.

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