Fewer than 60 Indigenous Australians have contracted coronavirus, Senate inquiry hears

There have been 59 cases of coronavirus in Indigenous Australians and none of those are in remote communities, senators have heard.

There has been less than 60 cases of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities, a Senate inquiry has heard

There has been less than 60 cases of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities, a Senate inquiry has heard Source: Indi Kindi | Twitter

There have been 59 cases of coronavirus in Indigenous Australians, a Senate inquiry has heard.

None of those have been in remote Indigenous communities, which have been closed during the pandemic.

The lockdown for communities in the Northern Territory will ease from Friday.

Officials from the Department of Health told a Senate inquiry that policies are in place in the instance there's a case in a remote area.

Labor's Indigenous affairs spokeswoman Linda Burney earlier said a major issue is that many remote communities do not have clean water so things like dialysis machines cannot be properly used.

Overcrowding is also a concern for people living in impoverished communities during the pandemic.
"It's impossible to have social distancing if you're in a three-bedroom home with 20 people living in it," Ms Burney said.

Labor wants to know if a national referendum on recognising Indigenous people in the constitution has been delayed because of the coronavirus crisis.

The Morrison government has been non-committal on the timing on a referendum despite Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt's optimism of achieving reform in this electoral cycle.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.

Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.

The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.

SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at .


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Published 2 June 2020 6:50pm


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