Dr MARJORIE O'NEILL (Coogee) (16:50:03): I acknowledge the tireless work of the Public Health Unit of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. The amazing work of the professionals, under the leadership of Professor Mark Ferson, have been working tirelessly since January to keep our community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. This unit has been on the front line of the pandemic, undertaking contact tracing, patient outreach and spread prevention, and working with local councils, businesses and community groups to help them stay open and stay COVID safe. Our local public health professionals do an amazing job to protect, promote, improve and maintain the health of our community. Before the pandemic and throughout, this team has provided the highest quality public health services, education, research, information and interventions to local people in a time of great stress and uncertainty. Public health does not get the funding it requires and our public health professionals do not always get the thanks and praise they deserve. I thank Mark and the team for showing me around their workplace and for the amazing job they are doing.
15 October 2020

