The 866-page report says Australia went into the pandemic without a clear national management plan and deficiencies in the National Medical Stockpile.
It says despite Australia being well prepared in many respects – with a robust health system, a healthy population, strong institutional settings and a related series of health emergency plans in place – the country was “not prepared for a pandemic of the severity, complexity or duration of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
The report says delays in procuring the COVID-19 vaccine prolonged restrictive public health measures, with a direct economic cost estimated at $31 billion.
It says pandemic response measures such as lockdowns and movement restrictions are unlikely to be accepted by the public again.
In response, the Albanese Government will deliver a new Australian Centre for Disease Control, which is one of the central recommendations of the inquiry.
The Government said it will release a further response after careful consideration of the inquiry’s findings and recommendations.
“As the inquiry makes clear, Australia lacked sufficient planning and preparation for a pandemic. There are a lot of lessons,” said Health Minister Mark Butler.
“The establishment of the Australian CDC will help ensure we are prepared next time.
“Within the next 24 hours, I’ll be discussing the inquiry with my health minister colleagues. Those discussions will continue over coming months.”
The inquiry was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 21 September 2023. It was led by an independent panel with significant experience in public health and economic policy – Ms Robyn Kruk AO (Chair), Professor Catherine Bennett and Dr Angela Jackson.
The inquiry reviewed the Commonwealth Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to identify lessons to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics.
The panel considered health and non-health responses to the pandemic which were the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government or undertaken jointly with the states and territories.
They examined the roles and responsibilities of governments in managing pandemic responses, the interaction between tiers of government, and the overall cohesiveness of the national response.
The report includes nine guiding recommendations that are aligned with nine pillars of a successful pandemic response.
The report identifies 19 immediate actions for the next 12-18 months, and a further seven medium-term actions prior to the next national health emergency.
The inquiry received 2201 submissions from organisations and individuals, conducted interviews and roundtables, and commissioned research to understand the experiences of those most heavily affected.
The full report is available at: COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report
