Victoria’s “litany of mistakes” has put nation at risk, AMA boss says
Mistakes and “general sloppiness” has seen the COVID crisis deepen in Victoria and put the nation at risk, Australian Medical Association state president Dr Chris Moy says.
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Australian Medical Association state president Dr Chris Moy has blasted Victoria’s “litany of mistakes” in dealing with the COVID crisis and putting South Australia at risk.
As Victoria recorded its worst day of the pandemic with 532 new cases, Dr Moy contrasted the “general sloppiness” of that state’s response, including its contract tracing, with South Australia.
“There is widespread anger, frustration and alarm by state and federal health authorities, doctors groups, and epidemic modellers that the decisions of the Victorian government have put all other parts of Australia at risk, including SA,” Dr Moy said.
“This has been unsaid to some degree out of the need not to appear to criticise. But it is evident in the steady ramping up of (border) restrictions in South Australia where health authorities are extremely fearful of the wave of pandemic coming to the state.”
Dr Moy said there was “significant anger” that the Victorian government had not opted for “a harsher Level 4 lockdown”, favoured by the AMA, under which only essential workers would be allowed to leave their homes for work.
“The Victorian government has announced increasing levels of lockdown but which have still been ‘lite’, with people still going to employment where a large proportion of cases have disseminated,” Dr Moy said.
“There have been a litany of mistakes in Victoria.”
Dr Moy said the mistakes included using security guards instead of police or Defence personnel to guard people in hotel quarantine.
In SA, police supported by SA Health nurses do that work.
Another error was “general sloppiness” in activities such as contact tracing and COVID-19 testing.
“Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has blamed the population for going to work when waiting for tests, something that would have been greatly reduced if people were not going to work under a Level 4 lockdown,” Dr Moy said.
“Most important of all, in SA the health and police authorities have headed the response and have been at the top of the decision-making hierarchy ... therefore removing politically-motivated calls.”
He said by contrast in Victoria, chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton was well down the chain of influence in critical decision making.
“This has been a key difference in the response of SA because it has removed both real and perceived political bias in decision making and increased confidence that health has been prioritised,” he said.
Dr Moy urged the SA public to keep social distancing, practise good hygiene and download the COVIDSafe app.
“Victoria has given a glimpse of a dangerous future, where we could lose our current freedoms,” he said.
“We still have a chance to keep this at bay in SA.”