I hope everyone is keeping as safe as possible. As Victoria’s second wave rolls on, more than 1,100 healthcare workers (HCW) have contracted COVID-19. There are healthcare workers fighting for their lives in Victorian intensive care units. This shouldn’t be happening. We need to equip our frontline health workers with adequate protection. 

If you are a HCW or if you care about our heroes on the frontline, please can you write to federal health minister, Greg Hunt, asking him to protect vulnerable HCWs?

Current guidelines for respiratory protection of our healthcare workers are inadequate. There is overwhelming evidence of airborne transmission of the virus.  National guidelines need to upgrade the droplet only precaution to include the risk of airborne transmission. Anything else is simply not good enough.  

Right now, if you are a HCW or if you care about our heroes on the frontline, can you please write to Greg Hunt, and ask him to upgrade protections?

1. Use this email address and if you’re comfortable, CC this campaign’s email
Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au (CC: ppepetition@gmail.com)

2. Copy + paste this text and add your personal touch, including why this matters. Remember to always stay polite and respectful. 

Dear Minister Hunt,

My name is [NAME] and I’m based in [STATE/TERRITORY]. (If you are a HCW yourself or you have a personal connection with a HCW, please feel free to use this space to write about your experience and concerns re: inadequate PPE)

So far, more than 1100 HCWs have contracted in Victoria alone. I’m afraid this number will only increase across Australia if HCWs are not given adequate protection at work.

There is now overwhelming evidence of airborne transmission of the virus.(1) Yet, at the federal level, protection guidelines claim that routine care of COVID-positive patients can be performed with a surgical mask, presenting a workplace hazard for the HCWs.

Minister Hunt, I urge you to please upgrade national health guidelines to include respiratory protection of HCWs. The protection must be extended to aged care too, not just hospitals.

Thank you,

[Your name]

(1) https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/current-guidelines-respiratory-protection-australian-health-care-workers-against-covid

3. Press send! Please don’t forget to cc ppepetition@gmail.com to share your stories with this campaign, if you’re comfortable. I may be in touch with you as we build this movement to help protect HCWs on the frontline.

4. Comment DONE under this update to let me know you’ve sent your email

Healthcare workers are the frontline, and our last line of defence. If all 200,000 of us unite and demand better protection for the HCWs, our collective voice cannot be ignored. I urge you to please email the Health Minister and stand with HCWs.

Thank you