Aged care royal commission hearings will be closed to the public while the disability inquiry has postponed forums planned for next week due to coronavirus concerns.
The aged care royal commission on Friday said it was taking the precautionary step of not permitting the public to attend its hearings and workshops until further notice.
“The royal commissioners want to ensure robust measures are in place to protect the public, particularly frail older people, who may be at risk of contracting the virus at public events like hearings,” a commission statement said.
“These measures also ensure that the work of the royal commission can proceed as it completes its program of public hearings and workshops and develops recommendations to be published in its final report due for completion in November 2020.”
The ban on public attendance will begin with an Adelaide workshop on Monday and Tuesday focused on research, innovation and technology, which will be live-streamed as usual on the commission’s website.
The inquiry will also hold a three-day hearing in Adelaide from March 30 examining how mental health, oral health and allied health care could be improved for people accessing aged care services.
The disability royal commission has postponed community forums and information sessions due to be held in northern Tasmania next week, citing concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Disability royal commission chair Ronald Sackville QC said the decision was made in the best interest of the health and safety of the community generally and of people with disability in particular.
‘We apologise for any inconvenience, however we consider this to be a necessary and appropriate step, given the number of confirmed cases in Australia continues to rise,” he said on Friday.
Mr Sackville said at this stage a public hearing on education in Brisbane from March 24 would go ahead, but added the commission would closely follow the advice of medical experts.
AAP
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