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Australia now has 700 active COVID-19 cases: Key takeaways from the latest press conference

Australia currently has just 700 active cases of coronavirus as the country's health authorities work to identify and nullify small outbreaks in major communities.
Addressing the public in a press conference this afternoon, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said while Australia's numbers are low, our death toll now sits at 99 people.
Professor Kelly also implored Australians to keep seeing their doctors for chronic conditions, noting the successful roll-out of consultations done by family doctors over the phone.
Here's the key takeaways from Professor Kelly's press conference, May 18:
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly after a press conference providing an update on COVID-19 coronavirus, poses for a photo with the active COVIDSafe app downloaded to his mobile phone, in Canberra on Wednesday 29 April 2020. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen (Sydney Morning Herald)

AUSTRALIA'S DEATH TOLL ON THE EDGE OF 100

  • Professor Paul Kelly, said there are now less than 700 active cases in the country right now.
  • Of those, 45 are in hospital, 12 are in intensive care units and seven are on ventilators.
  • In total Australia has recorded 7,060 cases of the disease, and a total death toll of 99 people.
  • More than one million Australians have been tested for the virus.
A Melbourne aged care facility has gone into lockdown after a resident returned an inconclusive test result for coronavirus. (9News)

MORE THAN 10 MILLION TELEHEALTH CONSULTATIONS PERFORMED

  • Professor Kelly said over 10 million telehealth consultations have occurred between patients and their doctors.
  • "Over 5.6 million patients have taken up that opportunity of telehealth, and that has led to $526 million worth of reimbursements to practitioners," said Professor Kelly.
  • "I'd like to take this opportunity to remind people that COVID-19 is not the only health problem we have in Australia."
  • "There are people with chronic diseases. Please do not delay seeking help at this time, either by telehealth or by seeing your practitioner face to face."
Telehealth allows Australians to access medical services online.
Telehealth allows Australians to access medical services online. (Getty)

COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM LIKELY TO BE GLOBAL

  • Australia is part of the race to create a vaccine to coronavirus, and that there isn't competition between nations or states to who creates it first.
  • "We may not win the race, but we're part of the race, and we will be looking to develop a vaccine here in Australia," said Professor Kelly.
  • "If it isn't the first vaccine that's available, we'll be looking to join that effort to vaccinate people - it's really important that we do that in a way that is global, because infections don't know borders."
How telehealth works for Australians accessing medical services.
How telehealth works for Australians accessing medical services. (Graphic: Tara Blancato)

VACCINATIONS UNLIKELY TO BE COMPULSORY

  • When asked about introducing compulsory vaccinations, Professor Paul Kelly said while he was "not in favour" of forcing people to vaccinate, he was sure that a COVID-19 vaccine would have a strong uptake from the community.
  • "There's always a pocket of people that are against vaccinations," said Professor Kelly.
  • "What I've found, though, in these sort of circumstances, where there has been death and severe illness, people are much more attuned to getting the vaccine than previously.
  • "We've noticed, for example, almost double the number of flu vaccines have been delivered and injected already in this year compared with last year. And I think that's part of this sort of general sense that vaccination is a good thing."
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