Prime Minister
TONY PILKINGTON: Hello, Prime Minister. Good afternoon, you're talking to Adelaide, thank you for that.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, I am. Is that you, Pilko?
PILKINGTON: Yes, it is.
PRIME MINISTER: How are you?
PILKINGTON: I'm all right, thank you. But well, I'm Ok. But God, some of us here all of a sudden battling. Prime Minister, can you tell us what's planned?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I spoke to the Premier first thing this morning. And, you know, these are things that South Australia have been preparing for. There are no failsafes when it comes to all the systems that are there. And the quarantine arrangement has been running for a long time. But I think there's an appreciation that there is a certain inevitability at some point it'll find a vulnerability and that's what's occurred. But it's what matters now is how South Australia responds. And I know the Premier is moving swiftly, the identification and the tracing and the testing that has been done over the weekend. We've stood up the aged care response centre there in South Australia to address any particular needs in the aged care, residential aged care community and more broadly. But I particularly want to let South Australians know that the whole country is working together. All other Premiers have been extending their support to Premier Marshall through the National Cabinet processes that we have. But there's a lot of confidence in South Australia's ability to address this. Of course, that will be put to the test over the next 48 hours in particular. But they are prepared for this and we'll be giving them every support to ensure that they're successful.
PILKINGTON: Prime Minister, what's the immediate support you can offer to the government here, to the people of SA?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the first and most important thing we've done is to stand up the aged care response centre. That's an area where we're particularly involved and we want to make sure that we're out there ensuring that appropriate testing is being conducted in aged care facilities and standing up that, as well as the re-statement of all the necessary precautions that need to be taking place in aged care facilities, the wearing of protective equipment and infection control practises. What this reminds, I think, all over not just in South Australia, but all around the country is the virus hasn't gone away. It hasn't gone. It's still there. And whether you've had borders up or down, does it matter. If there is a weakness that it's found then within the community it can move and so we can't be complacent about it, and I don't believe South Australia has. But they will move now to address the risk that is presented. And I think people should sort of go cautiously about their business following the COVIDSafe behaviours and the government will get on with its job.
PILKINGTON: Prime Minister, before we let you go, and thank you for the call this afternoon. What's the information that you're getting on on a possible vaccine? I mean, is that still airy fairy sort of stuff? I mean, we're hoping to God it perhaps eventuates. What's the information you're getting?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a timely question. I've literally just driven out of the manufacturing facility here in Melbourne, which I've just seen that production upstairs there in the facility. So that's the AstraZeneca vaccine. Now, of course, that still has to go through the TGA approval processes where, you know, the only vaccines that will be made available to Australians will be those that satisfy the highest health requirements. But in preparation for that, that vaccine is in production right now. In addition to that, there are three other vaccines. There is, of course, the University of Queensland vaccine, which is a bit further back in the process. But that would also be an Australian-manufactured vaccine that would occur here also in Melbourne. And then there are two others. There's the Pfizer vaccine, which at the moment is sort of out in front of the pack. And we have 10 million doses of that which we've been able to secure, including the cold storage facility transfer to take it right to the point of vaccination. And then there's another vaccine out of the United States. So all of this would see Australians vaccinated three times over in terms of the scale. But they're making great progress. But we can't. We can't count on that until, you know, the trials and the medical hurdles are appropriately cleared.
PILKINGTON: Prime Minister, we’ll let you go. Who wins State of Origin on Wednesday?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course, the Blues do. It was my great regret that I was unable to come down to Adelaide to see that game. It was probably just as well because the Blues threw that one away, I’m afraid. But I was watching intently and I did see Premier Marshall, he sent me a text with him and Wayne ‘Junior’ Pearce before kick-off and I was incredibly jealous. But congratulations on South Australia. Who knows? We might have converted a few people to rugby league.
PILKINGTON: Good on you, Prime Minister. Thanks for the time this afternoon. I know you're busy. Much appreciate the time. Prime Minister Scott Morrison.