David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on the progress Australia has made containing the outbreak of COVID-19 and on how the Australian approach to combating the virus compares internationally, allowing Australia to reopen, recover and build a stronger nation?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Van for what is an incredibly important question. Since March, Australians have taken extraordinary steps to protect the health of their fellow citizens and our economy from COVID-19. With Victoria coming out of restrictions, as Senator Van knows, we are now at a very important moment, with encouraging signs that we are containing the virus within Australia.

Today I am pleased to update the Senate that for the first time since February we have had no new cases of community transmission for three consecutive days. Globally there have now been over 50 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 1.2 million deaths in total. Sadly, this includes 907 Australians. While any death from COVID-19 is sobering, the hard work of Australians means that, when compared with other developed nations with advanced health systems, Australia has performed remarkably well. Over 9.1 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted since January, with 27,674 Australians diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, only 85 cases remain active, with Australia now averaging fewer than 10 new daily cases over the last week. Globally, new cases have increased by over 565,000 a day over the past seven days. The results have only been possible, though, because of the early actions the Morrison government took on the basis of medical advice, as we know. We closed Australia's borders, we secured our testing capacity and, importantly, we invested in contact tracing. Together, Australians and our health authorities have achieved these outcomes.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cash. Senator Van, a supplementary question?

David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise the Senate on the progress that the Australian government is making towards securing access to a COVID-19 vaccine?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Van. Again, that is an important question. The government has announced two new purchase agreements for the supply of promising COVID-19 vaccines. Access to these vaccines is subject to clinical trial outcomes on the safety and effectiveness of each candidate and approval by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration. A diverse vaccine portfolio is a key component of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine and treatment strategy. The new agreements build on the Australian government's existing commitments to the Covax Facility, the University of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the University of Queensland CSL vaccines. To date the Morrison government has invested more than $3.3 billion across five separate agreements with local and international pharmaceutical companies. While there are no guarantees, this is encouraging news coming out of global vaccine trials over recent days.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Cash. Senator Van, a final supplementary question?

David Van (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With the welcome news overnight of promising results being reported from vaccine trials across the world, how well positioned is Australia to roll out a vaccine and provide enough doses to keep Australians safe?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government's two new production and supply agreements have secured an additional 50 million doses, securing early access to 134 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for Australians in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Australians will have access to 33.8 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, 51 million doses of the UQ vaccine, 40 million doses of the Novavax protein subunit vaccine and 10 million doses of the promising FISABIO vaccine. All four vaccine candidates are likely to require two doses per person. CSL has confirmed its Australian manufacturing schedule is on track to produce 30 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Subject to regulatory approvals, first doses will be ready for use in early 2021.