COVID-19

Employment Between March and April 2020, the number of employed people aged 15 and over fell by 592,100. This was the largest monthly fall in employment since the current labour force series commenced in February 1978. Source: Australia's Welfare 2021, Snapshots, Employment and unemployment Breast screening declined during COVID-19 75,000 tests were conducted in April 2018, reducing to 1,100 in April 2020. Source: Cancer screening and COVID-19 in Australia (Part 1) Telehealth Health practitioners delivered more consultations via telehealth under the MBS (Medicare). Source: Impacts of COVID-19 on MBS and PBS service use > Pandemic drove government health spending up in 2019-20 Total health spending (from all sources) in 2019–20 equated to an average of $7,926 per person. In real terms, this was $18 (0.2%) more per person than in 2018–19. Source: Health Expenditure in Australia Public hospital emergency departments impacted my COVID-19 There were 8.8 million presentations to Australian public hospital emergency departments in 2020–21, compared to 8.2 million presentations in 2019–20. Source: Emergency department care Pause