Table 5. Representative Quotes Pertaining to the Potential to Learn in Media Releases Issued by the NSW Government and the Government of Ontario .

Potential to Learn
Formal Inquiries & Investigations
“A special commission of inquiry will be established to investigate the events surrounding the Ruby Princess cruise ship” (NSW Premier-Deputy Premier 2020 04 15).
“The Ontario government launched an independent commission into COVID-19 and long-term care. Three commissioners will investigate how COVID-19 spread within long-term care homes, how residents, staff, and families were impacted, and the adequacy of measures taken by the province and other parties to prevent, isolate and contain the virus. The commission will also provide the government with guidance on how to better protect long-term care home residents and staff from any future outbreaks” (Ontario News Release 2020 07 29).
Lessons Learned from Australian Bushfires
"The past few months have been incredibly challenging both for school communities in bushfire and now flood impacted areas," [Minister for Education Sarah] Mitchell said…."We have learnt you can never over-communicate in a crisis…. During the fires last year and floods this year, schools worked incredibly hard to ensure everyone was informed” (NSW Dept. of Education 2020 03 02).
Lessons Learned from Previous Outbreaks
“The NSW Health response to COVID-19 is part of an existing framework for managing emerging infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza, SARS and MERS in the past, which has been refined over many years” (NSW Health Release 2020 02 13). “Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said NSW Health has planned extensively for a pandemic and further strengthened its response since the SARS, MERS and H1N1 ‘swine flu’ threats, but everyone plays a role in prevention” (NSW Health Minister 2020 02 27).
Lessons Learned During the Pandemic
“…the emergence of community spread of COVID-19 in multiple countries outside mainland China demonstrates how quickly the virus can pass from person to person and, because it can present as mild disease, how preventing its spread can be challenging” (NSW Health Minister 2020 02 27).
“Virtual healthcare has proven to be particularly effective for follow up and secondary appointments, after a patient’s initial diagnosis at a face-to-face consultation” (NSW Premier-Deputy Premier 2020 07 15).
“NSW Health has recently started a research program to test sewage for traces of COVID-19 across the state … Initial samples collected at the Perisher sewage treatment plant on Wednesday 22 July 2020 returned a positive result for the presence of COVID-19” (NSW Health Statement 2020 07 30).

Abbreviations: NSW, New South Wales; COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019.