Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told SBS Greek that everyone who serves in Victorian Parliament “and is concerned about the pandemic issues should not be surprised” about her government’s efforts to extend the time limit of the State of Emergency beyond September.
Minister Mikakos “understands the ethical religious concerns that have been raised” by the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Makarios to Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressing concerns about the vaccine being developed at Oxford University.
The three leaders of the Catholic, the Anglican, and the Greek Orthodox church urged Mr. Morrison that nobody should be forced to prescribe or dispense a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Vic Health Minister Jenny Mikakos interview in Greek
Γιατί πρέπει να επεκταθεί η Κατάσταση Εκτάκτου Ανάγκης στη Βικτώρια; Η Τζένη Μικάκου απαντά!
Replying to Mr. Morrison criticism about Victorian Government handling the hotel quarantine, the contact tracing, and the virus testing, Ms. Mikakos told SBS Greek that she doesn’t “point out a finger or talk about the failures in the private aged care system that the Royal Commission has highlighted” and that her government is working together with the Morrison Government.
Minister Mikakos doesn’t believe that the handling of the COVID-19 crisis by the Andrews Government will have any impact on the local councils’ elections later this year.
The Greek Australian minister did not confirm whether she will be contesting in the 2022 State Elections.
Press Play on the main photo and listen to the SBS Greek Radio interview with the Victorian Health minister Jenny Mikakos
SBS: Premier Daniel Andrews said an hour ago that Emergency powers are necessary for any reopening. Why is that and why does it need to be extended by 12 months?
Jenny Mikakos: Victoria is the only State in Australia that has a limit on the amount of time that we can declare a "State of Emergency. We can only declare a "State of Emergency" every four weeks (and there is a limit of six months and until the middle of September) and that is based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and I need to report to the Parliament to give the reason why we have the extension.
Unfortunately, by the middle of September we will have cases, so need to have some type of restrictions.
The vote that is going to take place in Victorian Parliament next week, is not to the extent the Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne or the Stage 3 restrictions in regional Victoria. It is just to provide the legal framework to enable the CMO if he thinks that is necessary to have some legal rules and directions in place to keep all us safe and save lives.
There are States with zero cases like Western Australia has zero cases for many weeks and it still has 18 legal direction in place to keep the community safe. We know that we will still need to have rules in place even in 2021. For example, a person that is diagnosed with COVID-19, that person must stay at home. If we have no rules in place from the middle of September, the 3000 and more active cases that we have now in Victoria could potentially leave their house and we might have a third wave.
SBS: The Opposition and the minor parties claim that they were not informed about Premier Andrews's intentions? Any commend?
JM: Everyone in the Parliament that take close attention to these issues knows about the 6-month-cap. No one who is in the parliament and is concerned about these issues should be surprised. The public health experts and the medical researchers are saying to me that the vaccine is not around the corner and it will take some time before we develop a vaccine and it is safe. So, we need to have some measures and basic rules in place into the new year to keep everybody safe.
Greek Orthodox Archbishop Makarios (and other faith leaders) to Scott Morrison, that urged him to reconsider a deal to purchase 25 million doses of the potential Oxford vaccine – over ethical concerns. What is your response to that?
Vaccines have developed for many viruses and diseases over the years and have saved millions of lives. When we develop the COVID-19 vaccine, I will be putting my hand up to get vaccinated because I believe in science.
The ethical issues may or may not present themselves in the future. I just think that the community wants a vaccine because this is how we can take our lives back to normal again.
I understand the ethical religious concerns that have been raised that ultimately most Victorians and Australians will still be supportive of a potential vaccine.
SBS: Prime Minister Scott Morrison this morning (Wednesday) attacked the problems the state has had with hotel quarantine, contact tracing, and virus testing – what’s your response to his criticism?
JM: I don’t think Australians are interested in politicians fighting each other amid this global pandemic. We’ve got to all focus and work together to save lives, and this is what we have been doing, working together with the Federal Government around these issues.
We don’t point our finger and talk about the failures in the private aged care system that the Royal Commission has highlighted. We had more than 300 lives lost in nursing homes in Victoria. It is an absolute tragedy for all these families involved. And we work together with the Federal Government to make things safer in the aged care facilities.
This is not a time for politics, as usual, we have an unprecedented public health emergency and my government is focused on responding to this pandemic and keeping Victorians safe.
FURTHER READING
COVID-19 measures across Australia's states and territories
SBS: Local Government elections are taking place soon. Will the handling of the COVID-19 crisis will have an impact on the Victorian Labors?
JM: The Victorian local council elections will proceed as planned later this year. The postal vote makes it easier for us to contact these elections without putting people in risk and the members of the community to decide who wants to represent them in the local council. I don’t think that issues around the pandemic are relevant to these elections.
SBS: Will you contest in the next State elections?
JM: That’s a long way away, I am focused on what we need to do now about this pandemic, I don’t think what is going to happen in 2022. I’ve got a very big job that I am dealing at the moment and working every single day to respond to the pandemic making sure our hospitals are well prepared and give them two billion dollars to prepare for this pandemic, making sure that our services have everything that they need.
