As key representatives of Australia's health professions this joint statement, with the Federal Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, supports and approves the COVIDSafe app as a critical tool in helping our nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic, protect and save lives.
The COVIDSafe app has been created as a public health initiative, which will allow state and territory public health officials to automate and improve manual contact tracing. Accelerating contact tracing will help slow the virus spreading and prevent illness as well as allow an earlier lifting of social distancing and other measures. The COVIDSafe app will assist health authorities to suppress and eliminate the virus as part of the three key requirements for easing restrictions: Test, Trace and Respond.
We thank Australians for their help in protecting each other and our doctors, nurses, carers, pharmacists, allied health professionals, dentists and support staff through their support for the difficult but life-saving social distancing measures.
We equally ask you to consider downloading the app to help protect our nurses, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, allied health professionals, carers and support staff. This will help us protect you and help you protect us.
The COVIDSafe app will also help keep you, your family and your community safe from further spread of the COVID-19 virus through early notification of possible exposure. It will be one of the tools we will use to help protect the health of the community by quickly alerting people who may be at risk of having contact with the COVID-19 virus.
Receiving early notification that you may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus can save your life or that of your family and friends, particularly those who are elderly. It will mean you can be tested earlier and either be given the support you will need if diagnosed positive, while protecting others, or have the peace of mind of knowing you have not contracted what could be a life threatening disease.
