The Australian Government welcomes the COVID-19 report of the Disability Royal Commission.
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen significant challenges in the way all Australians live our lives, however, the Government recognises the unique factors that need to be considered when managing the health care needs of people with disability.
One of our most important tasks during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic has been protecting those with disability.
To that end, it is a profoundly important human outcome that we have been able to keep Australians with disability overwhelmingly safe with significantly lower positive case numbers and lives lost in the disability community, than in the broader Australian population, which itself has been one of the strongest outcomes in the world.
Through the course of the pandemic, Australia has had 108 cases of COVID diagnosed per 100,000 people for the general population. By comparison, 43.4 cases per 100,000 people have been diagnosed for NDIS participants which is less than half of the national rate.
Each life lost is an agonising tragedy. In this context we owe a debt of gratitude to our carers, health workers and support community for ensuring that our rate of 2.18 lives lost per 100,000 NDIS participants is over 40% below our national loss of life, 3.6% lives lost per 100,000 Australians.
Australia acted swiftly in responding to protecting both the overall population and in particular our most vulnerable Australians.
Based on our best advice, Australia was one the two earliest nations to have a special, dedicated COVID response plan for our disability community. From very early on we took action.
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the Government acknowledged people living with disability often have specific health needs, which is particularly pertinent in the context of a global pandemic.
"This is why the Australian Government through February, March and April acted early on disability consultation and led the establishment of the Management and Operational Plan for COVID-19 for People with Disability (April), which provides a targeted response for people with disability, their families, carers and support workers," Minister Hunt said.
"The development of this plan involved significant collaboration between governments at all levels, disability and health sectors, academics and people with disability."
"New flexible approaches for service delivery such as telehealth, home medicines delivery and infection training has changed the landscape of the health care sector."
"We also continue our work with jurisdictions to ensure flexible testing arrangements for people with disability and continued access to personal protective equipment (PPE)."
"Since the pandemic began, the Department of Health, through the National Medical Stockpile, dispatched over 690,000 masks, 30,000 gloves, 85,000 goggles and face shields to the NDIA and to individual NDIS participants. This is in addition to the 29 July announcement which allowed NDIS participants and providers to claim the cost of PPE from the NDIA, in designated hotspots," Minister Hunt said.
Minister for Social Services, Anne Ruston, said the Commonwealth worked quickly and collaboratively with people with disability and their representative organisations, service providers, state and territory governments and health authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Government established the COVID-19 Disability Information Helpline, introduced measures to meet the immediate needs of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants and provided additional disability employment support," Minister Ruston said.
"This year we have committed about $46 million to disability advocacy and representative organisations, including funding specifically earmarked to support organisations provide the Government with information about emerging issues affecting the sector during the pandemic."
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Stuart Robert said the Commonwealth's response to the pandemic for NDIS participants was swift and ongoing.
"The Government commenced planning for issues of disability when COVID started striking in February. Disability ministers from around the country gathered on 18 March, and we've gathered four times throughout the pandemic to ensure the needs of people with disability are considered and responded to quickly," Minister Robert said.
"The NDIA rapidly implemented a range of temporary measures to support NDIS participants, such as providing low-cost assistive technology, including smart devices, so participants could access telehealth services; the ability to claim for the cost of PPE; and greater plan flexibility."
"The NDIA also made over 81,000 proactive outreach calls to vulnerable participants across Australia and paid more than $666 million in advance payments to more than 5,000 NDIS providers, ensuring much needed financial supports and continuity of services."
"In Victoria and, more recently, in South Australia, the NDIA and the Government were able to be agile to ensure the health and wellbeing of NDIS participants by turning on these temporary measures. Should community outbreaks occur in the future, the Government has the appropriate governance and structures in place to respond flexibly as circumstances require, consistent with public health orders."
"The Government continues to identify and strengthen our systems and processes and bolster support for at-risk NDIS participants and other vulnerable groups," Minister Robert said.
The Australian Government will work across relevant portfolios and Ministers to respond to the Commission's recommendations as a matter of priority.
| DRC Covid-19 report: key statistics |
|
| Australians with COVID |
27,582 cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 907 deaths (at 30 October 2020). |
| 108 cases per 100,000 people (based on 25.5m pop) 3.6 deaths per 100,000 people (based on 25.5m pop) |
|
| NDIS participants with COVID (30 Sept) |
179 participants tested positive 9 participant deaths 412, 543 total participants |
| 43.6 cases per 100,000 NDIS participants 2.19 deaths per 100,000 NDIS participants |
|
| Total NDIS workers testing positive for COVID-19 (30 Sept) |
215 people tested positive 1worker death Total workers - estimated at around 200,000 FTE |
| % of NDIS participants tested positive for COVID-19 (30 Sept) |
0.04% |
| % of NDIS participant deaths from COVID-19 (30 Sept) |
0.002% |
| COVID-19: support for people with a disability |
|
| 18 February |
The Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) was released, which expressly addresses the needs of vulnerable groups (chapter 6). |
| 5 March |
Minister Robert wrote to NDIA and Services Australia to request planning for COVID response |
| 5 March |
Disability COVID taskforce setup in NDIA |
| 11 March |
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announces a comprehensive $2.4 billion health package to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups and people with a disability, from COVID-19. |
| 13 March |
Residential aged care facilities guidelines were released. This supports young people living in residential aged care facilities. |
| 13 March |
The Commonwealth Government implements a dedicated MBS item for pathology tests for COVID-19. This is to ensure access to rapid COVID testing. MBS funded pathology tests for COVID-19 can be requested by all medical practitioners and must be bulk billed, that is provided at no cost to the patient. |
| 16 March |
Minister Ruston and the Department of Social Services held a round table with about 10 Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) to discuss responses to COVID-19. |
| 16 March |
Online COVID-19 infection prevention and control training for care workers, including disability care workers, went live. |
| 18 March |
Extraordinary meeting of DRC (Disability Ministers) to discuss COVID 19 response. Also met on: - 9 April 2020, - 11 May 2020; and - 24 July 2020. Health officials attended 18 March meeting to outline current guidance and access to infection prevention control training and National Medical Stockpile. |
| 19 March |
Minister Ruston held a Carer Gateway Service Providers COVID-19 Update with the CEOs from 10 peak organisations. |
| 29 March |
Australian Government announces a range of mental health supports to help Australians through COVID including:
|
| 30 March |
Minister Ruston held a COVID-19 roundtable with about a dozen Australian Disability Enterprises. |
| 31 March |
Minister Ruston met with Disability Discrimination Commissioner Ben Gauntlett. |
| 2 April |
The Advisory Committee on the Health Emergency Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) for People with Disability was established. |
| 3 April |
Ministers Hunt, Roberts and Ruston announced that the Australian Government would urgently develop a response plan to focus on people with disability during coronavirus. |
| 5 April |
NDIS participants to receive priority home delivery from some of Australia's leading supermarkets. |
| 9 April |
$90.7 million announced to support people with disability as part of a broader community support package, including the establishment of a dedicated phone line for people with disability. |
| 9 April |
DRC meeting (Disability Ministers) met to discuss response to COVID. |
| 16 April |
National Cabinet agreed to release the COVID-19 Management and Operational Plan for People with Disability. |
| 17 April |
The Australian Government's Management and Operational Plan for COVID-19 for People with Disability (the Plan) was released. |
| 23 April |
Announced changes to student visa work conditions to ensure continuity of health workforce, including in the disability sector. |
| 27 April |
New support items available for SIL providers where an NDIS participant is diagnosed with COVID-19, flexibility to purchase of low cost AT and downloadable access request forms to ensure eligible Australians can continue to apply for access to the NDIS. |
| 1 May |
Minister Ruston and the Department of Social Services held a round table with about 10 Disability Representative Organisations (DROs) to discuss responses to COVID-19. |
| 11 May |
Disability Ministers Meetings (all State and Territory ministers) to coordinate COVID response. |
| 15 May |
National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan announced with specific funding to support vulnerable groups including mental health and wellbeing of carers. |
| 12 June |
The NDIS moved to a post-pandemic phase from 1 July 2020, including the conclusion of some temporary measures. |
| 17 July |
Minister Hunt announces 1 million masks from National Medical Stockpile for disability care workers in Victoria. |
| 24 July |
DRC - Disability Ministers met to discuss response to COVID |
| 29 July |
Allowing participants and providers in NSW and Victoria to claim the cost of PPE and access additional cleaning supports. |
| 11 August |
Proactive outreach to NDIS providers, measures to ensure workforce supply and mechanism for a clinical first response for cases or outbreaks amongst providers and/or residential care settings. |
| 19 August |
Daily publication of data on COVID-19 infection rates for NDIS participants and workers commenced. |
| 21 August |
NDIS providers in Victoria and NSW can directly claim the costs of PPE from the NDIA through an hourly allowance. Victorian Government announced the establishment of the Disability Response Centre to coordinate and manage outbreaks and keep residents safe. |
| 22 August |
Participant and provider access to PPE extended to restricted areas of Queensland. |
| 4 September |
Australian and Victorian Government provide $15 million Mobility Reduction Payment for NDIS providers to reduce the movement of support workers between residential disability facilities. |
| 8 September |
The third iteration of the Disability Operational and Management Plan was endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. |
| A substantial number of actions have been implemented under the Plan, including:
|
|
| 2 October |
Minister Robert announced extension of temporary COVID measures until 28 February 2021. |
| 30 November |
As at 30 November, the Department of Health, through the National Medical Stockpile, has dispatched approximately 600,000 masks, 40,000 gloves, 10,000 gowns, 45,000 goggles and face shields to the NDIA and to individual NDIS participants. |
Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Management and Operational Plan for People with Disability
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
| Organisation |
Name, Position |
Email Address |
| Australian Association of Developmental Disability Medicine |
Dr Jacqueline Small, President |
