Coronavirus crisis: Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt on Kimberley COVID-19 emergency plans

Tents are being considered as an option to help towns dealing with overcrowding and the Army could be sent into remote Aboriginal communities in coming months to deliver food and medical supplies during the COVID-19 crisis. Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt told The West Australian yesterday that his agency had been in talks with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure people in remote Aboriginal communities could be flown out for medical treatment should COVID-19 strike. It comes as the WA Government imposed stricter conditions on travel in the Kimberley region after five healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19. People living in the Kimberley will be restricted to staying within their local government area, except for essential travel. The Federal Government has also announced a $123 million support package for Aboriginal communities and businesses, including loans for companies and more money for community night patrols. Mr Wyatt said he was in talks with Federal Defence Minister Linda Reynolds about the possibility of the Australian Defence Force bringing supplies into communities by truck or air. He said communities were able to access the supplies they needed but there had been isolated incidents in communities such as Molly Springs in the eastern Kimberley where goods had been unavailable. Mr Wyatt said his agency — the National Indigenous Australians Agency — had established a task force to respond to food supply issues. He said he had impressed by NSW Woolworths delivering essential supply packages to remote communities and said he would like to see this model rolled out nation-wide. Overcrowding also remained a concern for the Government. “We are concerned and have been having discussions about this, it’s not just remote it’s also in urban locations. We’re asking families in overcrowded housing to exercise careful hygiene and still whilst it’s possible... to keep a distance,” Mr Wyatt said. “We are looking at should an outbreak occur in a region or a community then what is our alternatives and that can include tents.” He said communities should follow the advice given by the Prime Minister, chief medical officer and State Government, rather than misinformation being spread on social media. He said he was concerned that social media posts that wrongly claimed the virus died at 27C could mislead communities. “People will take a message on social media as gospel when it’s not,” he said. Mr Wyatt said he was conscience of the mental health and suicide risks in communities, and was encouraging support services to continue operating while following social distancing rules. He said the Government’s goal was to avoid community outbreak altogether in vulnerable remote communities which was why quarantine measures had been crucial. “We run the risk of a generation of elders being lost if there is a coronavirus outbreak,” he said. Mr Wyatt, 67, said he was having little contact with the public and was washing his hands about 22 times day given he was in a higher risk group due to his age.