Senator CASH (Western Australia—Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) (15:02): In response to the question asked to me by Senator Rex Patrick on behalf of the Minister for Health, I have some further information for him. which I will now table. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, Minister. Are you seeking leave to incorporate it in Hansard? Senator CASH: Yes, I do seek leave to incorporate it in Hansard. Leave granted. The answer read as follows— I note that we are already well prepared and will continue to follow the expert medical advice. On 21 January 2020, 'human coronavirus with pandemic potential' was listed as a Listed Human Disease under the Biosecurity Act 2015, enabling the use of enhanced border measures. All states and territories have powers to issue orders under public health legislation that include provision for detaining persons and enforcement of those orders in relation to notifiable conditions. Authorised public health officers may issue directions to an individual, but generally Chief Health Officers (or equivalent) must authorise orders for detention. All states and territories have emergency powers (or equivalent) which provides extensive authority to control a public health emergency, including the power to detain individuals. In such cases the emergency direction must be authorised by the Chief Health Officer, or in some cases the Minister, however once declared authorised emergency officers may have delegated powers and the agency to detain individuals. The Commonwealth can issue directions during a human biosecurity emergency under the Biosecurity Act 2015. The World Health Organization (WHO) International Health Regulations Emergency Committee met on 30 January 2020 and declared the 2019-nCoV outbreak a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern". o The Chief Medical Officer advised that Australia was already carrying out the activities recommended by WHO, with border, isolation, surveillance, and contact tracing mechanisms already in place for some time.