Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister please update the House on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and how sticking to the national plan will provide both hope and safety for Australians?

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

I want to thank the member for Lindsay for her support and advocacy for her community in a challenging time.

Last night I had the privilege of representing Australia at an online meeting of APEC health ministers. The Canadian convener made the point that 64,000 people had been lost in the last week, on official figures. We were aware that 4½ million people in the global pandemic—as the Prime Minister has said—have lost their lives, on official figures. It's probably closer to 10 million on the advice of the World Health Organization. Every country which spoke last night had hardship and had challenges. The New Zealand minister, Andrew Little, gave a very impassioned and powerful speech about a nation in full lockdown right now—New Zealand, which has done so well. We are so proud of our Kiwi cousins and of what they've done but right now they are in a full national lockdown—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

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

Don't do it, Anthony—don't do it.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister for health will just answer the question.

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

Right now, New Zealand faces its own lockdown as part of a global pandemic. The message which all shared, though, was that through this we need hope and safety. These are the paths to recovery. These two things are the way forward.

In that context, what we've seen over the last 24 hours is 307,000 vaccinations, 43,000 higher than on the same day last week. That's a 15 per cent increase in one week on that day's results. There have been 6½ million vaccinations over 30 days—that is the population of Melbourne, Adelaide and Townsville together, over 30 days, and almost five times the population of Adelaide being vaccinated in that period of time. That's what Australians are doing and that's what does give us hope.

Yes, the national plan does set some challenging targets. Some would say that it's too conservative. But 70 and 80 per cent are real milestones that will provide significant protection and safety and fundamentally change the equation. These vaccinations are bringing us closer to those marks every day. So I say to Australians, thank you for coming forward. But to those who have not taken the opportunity, please do so. And to those who become eligible: this is your chance, your time and your capacity to help protect every Australian.