The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will further support the national response to COVID-19 by deploying additional personnel to assist State and Territory health authorities.
Reconnaissance and Planning Support Teams have been embedded in the Victorian, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australian state coordination centres, with additional teams ready to assist remaining States and Territories.
Contact Tracing Support Teams are also being established in all States and Territories, with a team of ADF personnel supporting NSW Health from yesterday.
Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC said the teams will contribute to the overall strength and resilience of the Australian health system in this challenging time.
“These ADF teams will provide logistics, transport, health and general planning assistance as the workload of civilian medical teams continues to increase as more Australians are diagnosed with, or affected by, COVID-19,” Minister Reynolds said.
“Defence continues to follow the advice of Australian health authorities when prioritising its support arrangements.
“We will continue to ensure Defence medical facilities are appropriately staffed to minimise any impact on our public health system.”
Defence has already provided a range of logistical and personnel support in response to COVID-19, including, but not limited to:
- supplying clinical and epidemiological support to the Department of Health ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Incident Room since early February;
- supporting repatriations to Christmas Island and Howard Springs via RAAF bases Learmonth and Darwin;
- providing health, logistics and movements support to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Border Force repatriation and care of Australian ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s;
- supporting Emergency Management Australia-led (EMA) planning for the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Communicable Disease Incidence of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Significance Plan in response to COVID-19;
- supporting the Department of Health with logistics and specialist staff;
- providing a small team of highly qualified engineering maintenance specialists to a surgical face mask factory until supplementary civilian workers can be recruited; and
- the establishment of a Three-Star-led taskforce to coordinate Defence’s contribution to Whole-of-Government efforts and manage our people.
