Category: News

Medical devices industry COVID-19 update

Posted on | by Team

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a member of the Coronavirus Industry Roundtable which is meeting regularly to discuss and address supply chain issues, MTAA has been asked by the Federal Government to lead the industry effort to coordinate the supply of essential medical equipment.

MTAA is coordinating with medical equipment suppliers and manufacturers, including non-members of MTAA, and other relevant industry associations to identify sources of supply and also to provide advice to Government regarding any constraints or obstacles to securing and maintaining supply. This includes identifying current stock, likely quantities that can be obtained through existing supply channels, new sources of supply and potential quantities, and opportunities to increase domestic manufacturing.

These groups will all be focused on providing the Federal Government with advice around supply chain and logistics issues, as well as working directly with state governments to gauge supply and the potential for shortages.

As part of maintaining the supply chain, MTAA is working directly with individual state governments to ensure that medical device services, including technical support and training, are able to continue to operate.

We are also working to ensure that vital technical support services, including service/maintenance/repairs and intraoperative technical support, can still be provided by technicians during medical procedures.

“We are incredibly grateful to the many medical technology companies dedicating significant resources to the effort at a time when their own companies are under an extreme amount of stress,” said Ian Burgess, MTAA CEO.

“The medical devices industry is 100% focused on helping to ensure the continued supply and distribution of vital medical supplies and maintaining Australia’s healthcare system,” Mr Burgess said.

TGA UPDATE

The medical technology industry has also been working closely with the TGA to enable faster access to life-saving medical equipment. A number of exemptions and fast-tracking processes have now been put in place:

  • On 22 March 2020, an exemption was enacted to enable faster access to PPE. This will facilitate necessary access to certain kinds of medical devices that are used for the prevention, monitoring, treatment or alleviation of COVID-19. (In practice, disposable face masks, disposable gloves, disposable gowns, and protective eye wear in the form of goggles, glasses or visors, which are designed to be worn by individuals to prevent the transmission of organisms.)
  • The TGA is currently undertaking an expedited assessment process based on the information and performance data currently available at the time of application for inclusion on the ARTG. All COVID-19 tests that are included on the ARTG based on this expedited assessment process are subject to additional non-standard conditions, which makes it easier for the TGA to perform additional post market assessments as experience and knowledge around COVID-19 diagnostic testing grows. The conditions require that additional evidence to support the ongoing safety and performance of the devices be provided to the TGA within 12 months of approval.

ACCC INTERIM AUTHORISATION TO SHARE INFORMATION

The ACCC has granted interim authorisation to MTAA to allow its members and other groups, such as suppliers or distributors of medical equipment, to share information between each other, co-ordinate orders and supply requests, prioritise requests, and jointly tender to supply COVID-19 medical equipment.

The interim authorisation will allow MTAA members and others to coordinate the manufacture and supply of equipment, and exchange information so that potential supply shortages can be addressed more quickly.

It will also allow industry to keep Federal Government, State and Territory Governments and relevant health agencies up to date on supply issues.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

DELAYED BUDGETS AND EXTENDED PARLIAMENTARY BREAK: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY?

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For business and industry, these changes not only affect the normal course of engagement with MPs and Senators, but it also gives an insight into the challenges that Government are facing with regards to the outbreak of COVID-19.

With this in mind, here are our thoughts on what these changes to the 2020/21 Budget and Parliamentary Sitting Calendar could mean for business going forward.

DELAYED BUDGETS

Due to the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced on Friday last week that the Federal Budget will be delayed until the first Tuesday in October – Tuesday 6 October 2020.

Treasurer, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP elaborated on the decision to delay the Budget, stating that COVID-19 and its impacts on the economy were creating too much uncertainty for the Morrison Government to create a Budget that could accurately reflect Australia’s economic position.

In addition to the delay of the Federal Budget, all the states and territories have also indicated that they are also delaying their budgets due to the pressing nature of the COVID-19 response. At this stage, the states and territories have not indicated when their Budgets will be handed down, however, the Prime Minister has indicated that the states and territories will be working to similar timeframes.

EXTENDED PARLIAMENTARY BREAK

Following further restrictions due to COVID-19, the Parliament passed a revised Parliamentary Sitting Calendar to ensure that Parliamentarians, their staff and the staff of Parliament House minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19.

The biggest change in the new Parliamentary calendar is the removal of the May and June sitting fortnights in June, as well as the sitting week for the Budget in May 2020. At this stage, the Parliament is due to reconvene on 11 August 2020.

Business and industry should be aware that although the new Sitting Calendar indicates a Parliamentary return in August, the COVID-19 situation is ever-evolving and should it be necessary, the Parliament may make the decision to cancel further sitting weeks, should it deem it appropriate to safeguard the health of Parliamentarians and their staff.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY?

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE NEW PARLIAMENTARY SITTING CALENDAR

One of the key takeaways for business and industry is that the delay in reconvening Parliament can serve as an excellent indication of the timeframe that Government and key authorities are working towards with regards to COVID-19. Therefore, unless major positive developments occur in the interim, people should expect restrictions associated with reducing the spread of COVID-19 to remain in force at least until August 2020.

However, August 2020 is not a firm time for the lifting of restrictions and the Government has indicated should the COVID-19 situation not improve in the next few months, the Government will continue to enforce current restrictions. If the situation deteriorates, the Government has indicated that it will introduce tougher restrictions on people’s movement and interactions with other people.

IMPACT OF ECONOMIC STIMULUS ON BUDGET

With the regards to the delayed Budget, business and industry should be aware that this year’s Budget will drastically diverge from last year’s projections. Treasurer, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP and the Morrison Government will likely to be focused on ensuring that continued stimulus is pumped into the Australian economy to avoid deep economic stagnation.

Many pundits are predicting that due to COVID-19, the Australian economy is likely to fall into recession (two consecutive quarters of economic growth) and should this occur, the Government will be concerned with ensuring that the effects of a recession have a minimal impact on the broader community. Currently, the Morrison Government has indicated that despite the nearly 200 billion in stimulus already announced, further stimulus packages could be released as the economic impact of COVID-19 evolves and changes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

How well maintained is medical equipment in hospitals?

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  1. NSW Auditor-General’s Report: Performance Audit – Medical equipment management in NSW public hospitals, May 2017

The NSW Auditor General found that: “Only about half the items of equipment included in our sample had testing and maintenance completed according to scheduled intervals or within 30 days of the scheduled date. These intervals were set under the Australian/ New Zealand Standard 3551 ‘Management programs for medical equipment’, which requires regular testing and maintenance of biomedical equipment to ensure it is safe and suitable for clinical use.”

While AS/NZS 3551 may have stipulated a 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date in its previous 2004 version, it no longer specifies any time frame for completing maintenance in its current 2012 version. Instead it states in section 6.7.2 When assessment and testing are delayed: “Where medical equipment is identified as beyond its anticipated re-assessment date, the responsible organization [i.e., hospital] shall be advised that service and testing are overdue. The medical equipment shall be made available at a mutually acceptable time to the clinical user and the service entity to allow assessment of the medical equipment to bring it into compliance.”

An open-ended “mutually acceptable time” for the hospital and the service entity may not be acceptable to ensure the safety of patients. Since the standard does not require that the decision to delay be appropriately approved and documented (justification, approver with management responsibility), it is likely that nobody will feel accountable for maintenance delays.

The audit report also found that: “The information systems used to record service histories of biomedical equipment were inefficient and inadequate for effective planning, monitoring and reporting of testing and maintenance. The implementation of a state-wide asset management system, Asset and Facilities Management Online (AFM Online), which will replace existing systems, has experienced delays. In addition, hospitals did not maintain adequate oversight of testing and maintenance that was outsourced to external contractors.”

Inefficient and inadequate information systems for medical equipment management coupled with slack requirements in AS/NZS 3551:2012 are a very bad combination indeed, likely to result in poor maintenance practices and adverse events.

It is not clear why the 30-day time frame for completing maintenance within the scheduled date was removed from AS/NZS 3551:2012. This change is not even listed in the PREFACE on page 2 of the standard along with other “principal differences”; is it really such a negligible change?

  1. Victorian Auditor-General’s Report: Efficiency and Effectiveness of Hospital Services – High-value equipment, February 2015

The audit of the Victorian Auditor General’s examined the effectiveness and efficiency of planning, delivery and utilisation of high-value imaging equipment in Victorian public hospitals such as CT and MR, and found that public CT and MR imaging services “are not being managed economically, efficiently or effectively across Victoria”.

The report concludes that: “Poor medical equipment asset management practices in public health services exacerbate a lack of planning at the health-system level. None of the six public health services visited had an asset management plan that included imaging equipment. The health services could not communicate to the department—or clearly identify—what their future imaging needs would be over the medium to longer term. This means that although future demand is set to increase, it is not clear at either the health-system or health-service level how that demand might best be met.”

The Auditor General’s report does not mention the AS/NZS 3551 standard at all, but the Victorian Department of Health refers to AS/NZS 3551:2004 in its Medical equipment asset management framework – Parts A and B of 2014 and Part C of 2012. Section 4.2 Maximise the effective life of the asset states: “The maintenance requirements of specific items are determined by the original equipment manufacturer guidelines (as described in the service or maintenance manual) and Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 3551 — Technical management programs for medical devices.”

It is not clear whether the maintenance and management programs for medical equipment have been audited by the Victorian Auditor General at all.

  1. Western Australian Auditor General’s Report: Management of Medical Equipment, May 2017

This audit assessed whether the management of medical equipment in public hospitals is efficient and effective. The audit report points out that: “Medical equipment can be technically complex and require specialist expertise to use, maintain and repair. It generally has an expected life of between 5 and 10 years depending on the type of equipment. The actual life will also depend on a wide range of factors including how often it is used, how reliable it is and how well it is maintained. The unavailability or failure of equipment can present significant risks to patients, staff and service delivery – risks that the health system needs to manage. Individual health service providers and hospitals are responsible for managing their own equipment, including planning, acquisition, maintenance, repair and disposal.”

The audit report concludes: “Equipment failure or unavailability due to repair or maintenance rarely has a serious impact on patient care. However, it does cause incidents and inefficiencies. The risk of adverse events was also increased because preventative maintenance for 16% of equipment we sighted was not done on time, and yet the un-serviced equipment remained available for use. Keeping to maintenance schedules is even more important as 36% of equipment we sighted across our 8 sample hospitals had exceeded its expected life.”

The AS/NZS 3551 is not mentioned in the audit report at all, however the Western Australian Department of Health’s policy for the management of medical equipment of 2019 quotes AS/NZS 3551:2012 as the underlying basis for compliance.

 

The current approach of State health policies in relation to medical equipment management and maintenance practices appears to be particularly inward looking, with little or no acknowledgement of international best practices like those described in the:

  • international standard ISO 55001:2014 Asset management – Management systems;
  • international standard IEC 62353:2014 Medical electrical equipment – Recurrent test and test after repair of medical electrical equipment;
  • WHO Health technology management resources, encompassing a series of guides published since 2011 (see Figure), including:
  • Procurement process resource guide
  • Medical equipment maintenance programme overview
  • Computerized maintenance management system

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MEDTRONIC FOUNDATION COMMITS AN ADDITIONAL $10M TO GLOBAL COVID-19 EFFORTS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Medtronic Foundation’s global and local response includes a comprehensive approach that is inclusive of cash contributions to over a dozen health and community nonprofits and will be used to fund:

  • Training and supervising frontline health workers
  • Ensuring the safety and well-being of frontline health workers, including provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and critical supplies
  • Supporting preparedness efforts for the health workforce, including surge capacity; caring for chronic, at-risk patients; and remote patient monitoring
  • Offering local community support of health, economic and food assistance for vulnerable populations
  • Providing flexible support to nonprofit partners working in underserved communities

 

“With roots in the world’s largest medical technology company, the Medtronic Foundation has a responsibility to be a leader on global issues impacting access to healthcare,” said Paurvi Bhatt, president of the Medtronic Foundation. “During this unprecedented global health crisis, we are committed to supporting and equipping the courageous frontline health workers who are delivering critical care to those in need. Through volunteerism and financial investments, we continue to partner with thought leading partners working globally, nationally and locally – with the flexibility and investment required to meet this critical need.”

 

In addition to financial contributions, the Medtronic Foundation is organizing virtual volunteer opportunities to help the more than 90,000 Medtronic employees globally support non-profit organizations that are responding to this global health crisis. Many of these opportunities will engage Medtronic employees in skills-based volunteerism where they leverage their professional skills to support organizations in need.

 

The Medtronic Foundation also will continue to match Medtronic employee donations to nonprofit organizations. These efforts will contribute to the immediate response, and as the situation evolves, the Medtronic Foundation will evaluate needs and consider additional contributions and volunteer opportunities as appropriate.

About Medtronic Foundation

Medtronic plc is the sole funder of Medtronic Foundation, whose focus is on improving health for underserved populations worldwide, as well as supporting communities in which Medtronic employees live and give. For more information, please visit medtronicfoundation.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

THREE NEW “PANTHERS” JOIN QUEENSLAND’S COVID FIGHT

Posted on | by pulseline

Mr Miles said the machines are just like their namesake – fast and intelligent. These new machines will be based at Toowoomba, the Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton Hospital laboratories, adding to the four Panthers bought earlier this year for the GCUH, Cairns, Townsville and Central Laboratories.

“This new equipment will mean tests will no longer need to be sent to Brisbane from those areas and will dramatically improve turnaround times for a range of important tests, including in the very near future COVID-19.

“Queensland’s laboratory testing is among the best in the world, and we’re continuing to lead the way,” Mr Miles said.

“Our capacity extends across the state, with testing hubs topping and tailing Queensland.

“And this Palaszczuk Government investment of over $897,000 will buy three new Hologic Panther Fusion Instruments to expand testing further, building on its initial investment of $1.098 million for the first four Panthers.”

Currently, the Pathology Queensland Central laboratory, Pathology Queensland Townsville laboratory and FSS Coopers Plains laboratory have the capability to undertake respiratory virus and COVID-19 testing.

“Queensland Health is uniquely placed as a public pathology provider – it has two distinct analytical test platforms and assays, and has plans to install more ,” Mr Miles said.

“This ensures we are well prepared and well placed for all novel coronavirus scenarios as demand increases for worldwide stocks.

“This will support us not just as we continue to respond to COVID-19 in 2020, but for the upcoming influenza season, and COVID-19 over the coming years as the globe continues to learn, diagnose and treat our community.”

The current diagnostic test used to screen for cases of COVID-19 looks for indicators of the virus in samples of people’s sputum, and from specimens from the nose and throat.

Queensland Health uses the gold standard of viral testing, known as Polymerase Chain Reaction testing. This is a three phase test, which involves the extraction, purification, amplification and detection of virus DNA.

Queensland’s two largest private pathology providers Queensland Medical Laboratories (QML) and Sullivan and Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) also have recently developed testing capability and are supporting most of the private sector demand.

A MESSAGE FROM IAN BURGESS, CEO, MTAA

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On behalf of the MedTech industry, MTAA is collating and sharing information on changes in the supply chain and emerging issues; significant pain points for MedTech businesses; and how company business practices are evolving to respond to COVID-19, particularly in the areas of work-from-home, travel restrictions, face-to-face meetings and business continuity planning.

MTAA is working closely with the government to address emerging supply chain impacts on business and broader industry as a result of COVID-19. The industry is represented on a regular roundtable convened by the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, together with other key stakeholders. An initial meeting was held last week, with the second meeting held on Thursday 19 March.

The roundtable is being held to discuss emerging supply chain impacts on business and broader industry as a result of COVID-19. Discussion will focus on what sectors are being impacted by supply chain issues, including how business is managing these challenges. The Minister welcomes any insights or suggestions about the best way forward to ensure business and industry are supported during this time.

MTAA is also engaging closely with the Chief Medical Office and the Federal Health Minister. Most recently this has been regarding the Government’s immediate priorities – the supply of respirators, reagents for testing and also masks. We have also facilitated relevant companies engaging with the Government regarding supply.

These are challenging times for our community, our industry and please take care of yourself and others.

MTAA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Our events that were scheduled for the near future have been postponed and we plan to conduct webinar events where possible. Our face-to-face training courses, Operating Theatre Protocols, have been postponed.

All committee meetings are now taking place via teleconference/videoconferencing and the majority of MTAA staff are working from home.

CORONAVIRUS ROUND-UP: WEEK OF 15 MARCH 2020

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SUNDAY

  • Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced that all overseas arrivals would be required to self-isolate for 14 days. In order to enforce this, new offences in each state and territory were introduced to enforce the mandatory self-isolation period, with significant fines for those who breach the self-isolation period.
  • In addition, Mr Morrison announced a ban on large public gathering of more than 500 people and recommended that people undertake social distancing measures. As part of these measures, the Government is recommending that people remain at least 1.5 meters away from each other and not undertake unnecessary social contact.

MONDAY

  • The Reserve Bank of Australia announced that it is considering purchasing government bonds following continuing economic pressure due to COVID-19. The purchasing of government bonds by the Reserve Bank is a sign that there are significant economic issues as government bonds are risk-free investment, and investors are flocking to them given that the ASX 200 was down 9.7% on Monday and fell by more than 10% last week.
  • The Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Western Australia all announced that they were entering a state of emergency due to COVID-19. The state of emergency will give each state and territories Chief Health Officer the power to enforce the 14-day self-isolation period as well as a ban on gatherings of over 500 people. The state of emergency in each state and territory is initially set to last for four weeks and may last further depending on how COVID-19 develops.
  • In addition to the state of emergency, WA Premier, the Hon Mark McGowan MP announced a range of measures designed to stimulate the WA economy and mitigate the impact of COVID-19. As part of the package, WA residents will see their household charges frozen including electricity, water and vehicle registration. In addition, WA small and medium businesses will also receive relief, with previously proposed changes to payroll tax being fast tracked by six months.
  • After news emerged last week that the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Peter Dutton MP had tested positive for COVID-19, he announced that he had departed hospital after being cleared. However, news broke that Mr Dutton’s Coalition colleague and Senator for Queensland, Senator Susan McDonald, had tested positive for COVID-19. Senator McDonald began feeling unwell on Friday 13 March 2020, and has since tested positive and was admitted to hospital as a result.
  • A range of Australian sporting events have been affected by coronavirus, especially following the Government’s announcement of new social distancing measures. Football Federation Australia and the NRL announced that each of their respective seasons would continue behind close doors, while the AFL announced that they would be reducing the length of their season, with only 17 rounds where every team will play each other once. This is in addition to Super Rugby suspending their league due to COVID-19.
  • Woolworths and Coles have introduced an elderly shopping hour from 7am to 8am every day in order to mitigate the effects of panic buying which has seen mass shortages of essential items including toilet paper, rice and pasta. In addition, Coles announced that it was bringing on an additional 5,000 new casual staff who will help stock shelves and serve customers.
  • RSL branches in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia have cancelled ANZAC Day commemorations in order to protect veterans and ensure compliance with the new social distancing guidelines. Some dawn services will still be held across the country, but members of the public will be asked to not attend.

TUESDAY

  • It was announced that the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP and the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP had come to an agreement to significantly pare down the number of MPs present in Canberra for next week’s sittings. It was announced that only 90 MPs will be present in Canberra next week, with 30 MPs from both major parties staying home. At this stage, the Government has not announced what will happen with the Senate.
  • NSW Premier, the Hon Gladys Berejiklian MP has announced a $2.3 billion stimulus package including extra funding for additional health measures as well as payroll tax relief for business with payrolls of up to $10 million. NSW Health will receive $700 million to boost a range of services across NSW. Other measures include a waiving of fees and charges for small businesses, increased funding for schools to hire cleaners and $750 million spent on capital works and maintenance of public assets.
  • Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 and the resulting decline in international and domestic travel, Qantas and Jetstar announced that they were significantly reducing their capacity, with the airline cutting 90% of its international services and reducing its domestic capacity by 60% at least until the end of May 2020. As a result, Qantas has grounded 150 aircraft and announced that the measures would affect its entire workforce of 30,000 people. Qantas has workers may be forced to utilise their paid leave allowances or take unpaid leave due to its decision.
  • Tasmania has declared a Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19, following the declaration of a state of emergency in the ACT, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia. The Public Health Emergency gives the Director of Public Health, Dr Mark Veitch, the power to quarantine, isolate or evacuate people. At this stage, Tasmanian Premier, the Hon Peter Gutwein MP, has said he will not declare a state of emergency, with Tasmania only having seven confirmed cases of COVID-19. Hobart’s Museum of New and Old Art has also announced that it will be closing due to the risk of COVID-19.
  • A third federal parliamentarian has contracted COVID-19, with reports breaking that Senator for NSW, Senator Andrew Bragg, contracting the virus. Senator Bragg suspected that he contracted COVID-19 while attending a friend’s wedding at Stanwell Tops on 6 March 2020.

WEDNESDAY

  • ­Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced a range of stringent measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. As part of the measures, Mr Morrison announced that there would be further restrictions placed on large gatherings of people, with a maximum of 100 people allowed in a single indoor area under new measures. The 500-person limit remains for gatherings that take place outdoors. Furthermore, Mr Morrison announced that there would be restrictions on visits to aged care facilities, with residents allowed to have a maximum of two visitors daily. Other measures included the introductions of an indefinite travel ban, as well as utilising 20,000 student nurses in Australia by lifting work restrictions.
  • Minister for Finance and Leader of the Government in Senate, Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann released a statement regarding the operation of the ‘scaled-back’ parliamentary sittings that are scheduled to take place next week. Despite confirming the news which broke on Tuesday which said will only be 90 members in the House of Representatives, with 30 pairs of MPs from the major parties staying home, Senator Cormann had no further updates on the operation of the Senate, saying that arrangements would be released later in the week following consultation with Labor and the Senate Crossbench.
  • Australia had its sixth death from COVID-19, with NSW Health officials confirming that an 86-year-old man died in hospital. This death is the fifth fatality from COVID-19 in NSW, with Australia’s only other death occurring in WA, after a 78-year-old man passed from the virus after contracting it on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship which was stranded off the coast of Japan. NSW still has the highest concentration of cases in Australia, with 270 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday.
  • NT Chief Minister, Mr Michael Gunner MP, announced a $65 million stimulus package primarily focused on ensuring that individuals and small businesses are able to cope with the effects of COVID-19. As part of the package, Mr Gunner announced $20 million scheme that would allow businesses to upgrade and improve their storefronts. In addition, $5 million has been allocated for not-for-profits, community organisations and clubs receive funding for repairs and renovations as well as $30 million for home improvement and a freeze on government fees, charges and electricity prices until July 2021.
  • Virgin Australia announced that they would be grounding all of their international services from 30 March 2020 until 14 June 2020 and will be also cutting domestic capacity by 50 per cent effective immediately until 14 June 2020. Virgin Australia has been hit hard by COVID-19 and Virgin’s stock price falling over 50 per cent in the last month. Similar to Qantas, Virgin Australia has indicated that its entire workforce will feel the affects of COVID-19, with full-time workers being asked to transition to part-time temporarily as well as people being asked to take existing leave or take unpaid leave.

THURSDAY

  • Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced all foreigner travellers will be banned from entering Australia from 9:00pm AEDT on Friday. The ban applies to all non-citizens and non-residents. Australians will still be able to return from overseas but they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut official interest rates to a record low of 0.25 per cent as it seeks to protect the economy from the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The Morrison government is in the process of finishing a second round of economic stimulus, badged as a multibillion-dollar “safety net” package. The package would be in addition to $17.6bn in economic measures in response to the downturn caused by Covid-19, on top of a $2.4bn health package.
  • Qantas announced it will be suspending all international flights and standing down two-thirds of its 30,000 workers in the face of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the coronavirus outbreak will hit Australia’s economy harder than the global financial crisis with Qantas staff potentially being redeployed to stock supermarket shelves.
  • Home Affairs Minister, the Hon Peter Dutton MP, has vowed to ‘come down like a ton of bricks’ on possible crime syndicates who have been busing it out to regional supermarkets and clearing out shelves. Minister Dutton indicated there was an operation underway with federal, NSW and Victorian police, and border force involved to crack down on hoarders selling essential items on the black market.

FRIDAY

  • Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the Government will not be able to table the budget until the first Tuesday in October. The Prime Minister also confirmed the national cabinet had agreed to a cap of one person per four square metres for indoor gatherings, including in pubs, cafes and restaurants, as was recommended by Australia’s chief medical officers. The national cabinet will also consider adopting further travel restrictions next week.
  • With Treasurer, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, admitting it would be hard for Australia to avoid its first recession in 29 years, the RBA cut official interest rates to 0.25 per cent, revealed plans to buy government debt to keep borrowing rates low and said it would lend at least $90 billion to banks on the condition they passed on that cash to small and medium sized businesses.
  • Australia has more than 700 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with four confirmed cases in the ACT. There have been six deaths and 41 recoveries as of this morning. The fourth ACT patient contracted the virus while travelling in the US and has been in isolation since returning home. The ACT government will announce a $137 stimulus package, which Chief Minister Andrew Barr hopes will save jobs and deliver immediate relief to individuals and sectors most severely affected by measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
  • Health authorities in NSW have confirmed another death from coronavirus, bringing the state’s total COVID-19 fatalities to six. NSW Health said an 81-year-old woman with the virus died last night. There have been 46 new coronavirus infections in NSW in the past day, taking the state’s total number of cases to 353.

Increasing domestic manufacturing during COVID-19

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Med-Con Pty Ltd – a manufacturer near Shepparton in regional Victoria – has increased production with the support of the Government and the Australian Defence Force.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said work is underway to significantly increase their manufacturing capability over time to meet demand as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.

“From helping to access new equipment to providing staff, we are doing what we can to enable companies like Med-Con to ramp up production and boost our domestic capacity,” Minister Andrews said.

“There’s a lot of fear in the community at the moment but Australians should know that work is happening to help us best respond to this unfolding crisis.

“This is important work but it’s also essential we get it right – this equipment needs to be produced to the highest standards.”

Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds said around a dozen ADF personnel are helping under Defence Assistance to the Civil Community (DACC) arrangements.

“The team, which is comprised of highly qualified engineering maintenance specialists from the Army Logistic Training Centre and the Joint Logistics Unit – Victoria, are supporting the request,” Minister Reynolds said.

“These skilled soldiers are with the company’s existing staff on production, maintenance and warehousing tasks.

“The Defence support will fill a short-term gap while Med-Con Pty Ltd recruits and trains supplementary staff. This is an example of the kind of exceptional circumstances which the DACC rules are designed to cover.”

In addition the Government has put out a Request for Information (RFI) to get a further understanding of the manufacturing capability and capacity that exists domestically, so that as a country, we are well-positioned to increase production of these products at home.

Minister Andrews added, “we are casting the net as widely as we can, asking manufacturers if they have the ability to diversify the work they do.”

“As those opportunities continue to present, we will work with manufacturers to support their transition.

“Australian manufacturers have already been reaching out with offers to help. I’m confident our Aussie ingenuity will guide us through this difficult time.”

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The targeted stimulus package is focused on keeping Australians in jobs and helping small and medium sized businesses to stay in business.

The package has four parts:

  • Supporting business investment
  • Providing cash flow assistance to help small and medium sized business to stay in business and keep their employees in jobs
  • Targeted support for the most severely affected sectors, regions and communities;
  • Household stimulus payments that will benefit the wider economy

The measures are all temporary, targeted and proportionate to the challenge we face.  The Government is hoping the actions will ensure it’s response to the immediate challenges Australia faces and help Australia bounce back stronger on the other side, without undermining the structural integrity of the Budget.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as part of the plan up to 6.5 million individuals and 3.5 million businesses would be directly supported by the package.

“Just as we have acted decisively to protect the health of the Australian people, based on the best evidence and medical advice, our support package responds to the economic challenges presented by this pandemic in a timely, proportionate and targeted way,” the Prime Minister said.

“Our plan will back Australian households with a stimulus payment to boost growth, bolster domestic confidence and consumption, reduce cash flow pressures for businesses and support new investments to lift productivity.

“Australia is not immune to the global coronavirus challenge but we have already taken steps to prepare for this looming international economic crisis.

“We’ve balanced the budget and managed our economy so we can now use this to protect the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of Australians.

“Our targeted stimulus package will focus on keeping Australians in jobs and keeping businesses in business so we can bounce back strongly.

“The economy needs temporary help right now to bounce back better so the livelihoods of all Australians are protected.”

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia is approaching the economic challenge from the Coronavirus from a position of strength with IMF and the OECD both forecasting Australia to grow faster than comparable countries including the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany and France.

“Our plan keeps businesses operating, supports jobs and provides a stimulus to households,” the Treasurer said.

“The Government has worked hard over the last six and a half years to return the budget to balance so we have the flexibility to respond to the serious economic challenges posed by the Coronavirus.”

“Given Australia’s strong economic and fiscal position, the international credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s indicated that temporary stimulus would be “unlikely to strain Australia’s creditworthiness.

“In our response, we have been very careful not to repeat the mistakes of previous stimulus programs and not undermine the structural integrity of the budget.

“Today’s announcement will provide the support businesses need to stay in business and keep Australians in a job.

“By acting decisively this package will put Australia in the strongest possible position to deal with the economic challenges we face and to make sure our economy bounces back even stronger.”

Delivering support for business investment

  • $700 million to increase the instant asset write off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000 and expand access to include businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million) until 30 June 2020. For example, assets that may be able to be immediately written off are a concrete tank for a builder, a tractor for a farming business, and a truck for a delivery business.
  • $3.2 billion to back business investment by providing a time limited 15 month investment incentive (through to 30 June 2021) to support business investment and economic growth over the short term, by accelerating depreciation deductions. Businesses with a turnover of less than $500 million will be able to deduct an additional 50 per cent of the asset cost in the year of purchase.

These measures have already started and will support over 3.5 million businesses (over 99 per cent of businesses) employing more than 9.7 million employees or 3 in every 4 workers. The measures are designed to support business sticking with investment they had planned, and encouraging them to bring investment forward to support economic growth over the short term.

Cash flow assistance for businesses

  • $6.7 billion to Boost Cash Flow for Employers by up to $25,000 with a minimum payment of $2,000 for eligible small and medium-sized businesses. The payment will provide cash flow support to businesses with a turnover of less than $50 million that employ staff, between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020. The payment will be tax free. This measure will benefit around 690,000 businesses employing around 7.8 million people. Businesses will receive payments of 50 per cent of their Business Activity Statements or Instalment Activity Statement from 28 April with refunds to then be paid within 14 days.
  • $1.3 billion to support small businesses to support the jobs of around 120,000 apprentices and trainees. Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 per cent of the apprentice’s or trainee’s wage for up to 9 months from 1 January 2020 to 30 September 2020. Where a small business is not able to retain an apprentice, the subsidy will be available to a new employer that employs that apprentice.

Stimulus payments to households to support growth

  • $4.8 billion to provide a one-off $750 stimulus payment to pensioners, social security, veteran and other income support recipients and eligible concession card holders. Around half of those that will benefit are pensioners. The payment will be tax free and will not count as income for Social Security, Farm Household Allowance and Veteran payments. There will be one payment per eligible recipient. If a person qualifies for the one off payment in multiple ways, they will only receive one payment.

Payments will be from 31 March 2020 on a progressive basis, with over 90 per cent of payments expected to be made by mid-April.

Assistance for severely-affected regions

  • $1 billion to support those sectors, regions and communities that have been disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the Coronavirus, including those heavily reliant on industries such as tourism, agriculture and education. This will include the waiver of fees and charges for tourism businesses that operate in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Commonwealth National Parks. It will also include additional assistance to help businesses identify alternative export markets or supply chains. Targeted measures will also be developed to further promote domestic tourism. Further plans and measures to support recovery will be designed and delivered in partnership with the affected industries and communities.

The Government is also offering administrative relief for certain tax obligations, including deferring tax payments up to four months. This is similar to relief provided following the bushfires for taxpayers affected by the coronavirus, on a case-by-case basis.  The ATO will set up a temporary shop front in Cairns within the next few weeks with dedicated staff specialising in assisting small business. In addition, the ATO will consider ways to enhance its presence in other significantly affected regions to make it easier for people to apply for relief, including considering further temporary shop fronts and face-to-face options.

The Government’s economic support package is proportionate, timely and scalable to respond to the economic challenges presented by the spread of the coronavirus.

Through this response and the actions the Government has taken to bring the Budget back to balance over the last six and a half years, Prime Minister Morrison said that Australians can be confident that the nation is one of the best prepared to respond to the economic impacts of the coronavirus.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

$4.9 MILLION FOR COLLABORATIVE HEALTH AND MEDICAL RESEARCH

Posted on | by Team

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The latest round of funding through the Government’s National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Partnership Projects scheme will fund six projects.

The Government’s investment is matched by Partner Organisations, demonstrating a joint commitment to bringing the best and most up-to-date research discoveries to the Australian community.

The University of Melbourne will receive over $415,920 to assess suicides in public places that have become known as ‘suicide hotspots’. The research will provide practical guidance on how best to deal with suicide hotspots.

Suicides at hotspots have a massive ripple effect on the loved ones of those who have died, and are traumatic for those who live or work at these sites. Almost a third of all suicides occur in locations that are or may become hotspots, and there may be as many as 120 hotspots in Australia.

The research team will collaborate with five Partner Organisations that fund, deliver, advise on and advocate for interventions to prevent suicides in public places.

The University of Newcastle will receive $734,163 to improve antenatal care to prevent excess weight gain.

Weight gain outside recommended levels during pregnancy contributes to a range of adverse outcomes for the mother and child, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth and obesity.

Despite guidelines recommending routine weighing and weight gain care being provided by antenatal services, 50-70% of women gain weight outside recommended levels during pregnancy.

The University of Sydney will receive $1,108,389 to develop the Get Health Coaching Service to reduce the burden of low back pain.

Australia spends $9 billion annually on low back pain management. The proposed approach aims to improve health services and processes in low back pain management, at low cost, and be readily implementable across Local Health Districts in NSW.

These grants will support our health and medical research workforce, providing opportunities for more health advances and for direct impact on Australians’ quality of life.

A list of recipients can be found on NHMRC’s Partnership Projects web page. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]