The most concerning finding to come from the inquiry into Victoria’s COVID response

A parliamentary inquiry into Victoria’s COVID response has found Victoria’s failure to invest in the state’s contact tracing system cost lives.

The Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee inquiry has issued 47 findings and 19 recommendations.

Reason Party leader Fiona Patten, who chaired the inquiry, says the most concerning finding to come from the inquiry was the state’s lack of preparedness.

“We weren’t prepared, and in many ways we weren’t prepared to acknowledge that we … were unprepared,” she told Heidi Murphy, filling in for Tom Elliott.

“We had contact tracing systems, we had data management schemes, we had all of this but it was completely overwhelmed during the second wave.”

Ms Pattern says she’s confident in how Victoria’s contact tracing system operates now, but the public health system could still use improvement.

“We have a robust system now,” she said.

“I don’t think that there’s anyone who wouldn’t agree that our public health system needs an overhaul.

“Unfortunately it took a pandemic for that to become absolutely evident and for people to accept that position.”

Press PLAY below for the full interview.