Losing hope: Premier lashed for blocking path to freedom
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk faces growing unrest over her refusal to commit to a national strategy for a post-lockdown future.
QLD Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been accused of taking away hope for Queensland to get out of the pandemic, as she crabwalks away from the national plan to avoid snap lockdowns.
While the Premier boasted yesterday that the state remained open, with cafes trading and spectators at sport, devastated businesses warned their doors would be forced to close without a pathway out of the pandemic, while families remained separated by border closures.
Ms Palaszczuk could not answer whether Queenslanders could look forward to an interstate holiday this Christmas.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ramped up pressure saying Australians want to see the national deal to start easing restrictions from 70 and 80 per cent vaccination milestones delivered.
“We have a plan to get out out of this. We can’t stay in a cave forever,” he said.
But Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland was not in a cave, but would not ruled out pulling out of the Doherty plan to open up Australia.
She said the modelling used was “predicated on 30 cases across Australia, not 13,000”.
“So I’m looking forward to seeing that modelling.”
“At the moment the borders are shut and, you know, we don’t know when they’re going to come out of their current outbreak.”
It is despite the Doherty Institute’s professor Sharon Lewin stating this week that the “advice still holds” and that the Delta strain was taken into account in the modelling.
“If you open up with more cases, you reach that peak quicker and you have a greater load on your public health system to make sure that you can slow that, can flatten the curve, essentially. So, the outcome is the same,” she said.
The Premier’s comments provoked a devastated response from the state’s business community, eager for certainty and a way forward.
Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said people deserved a national coherent plan with specifics around what they would and wouldn’t be able to do in the months ahead.
“We’ve lost a vision of the path forward,” he said.
“We’re in the darkness again and that’s maybe the worst aspect.
“We’ve lost hope.
“We need some plain speaking and some basic certainty.”
He said businesses and holidaymakers were in limbo, too afraid to make decisions.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland senior policy advisor Gus Mandigora said it was “critical” Queensland stick to the agreement secured at national cabinet so businesses could plan for their recovery.
“They also need a forward-looking road map outlining how the Queensland government plans to handle the pandemic in future,” he said.
“Every time states warn of the potential of more snap lockdowns and trading restrictions, businesses and consumer confidence take a hit,” he said.
Queensland Morrison government ministers have lashed the Premier for backing away, saying the state would continue to languish in the vaccine rollout race without something to hope for.
Employment Minister Stuart Robert said while Queensland’s can watch sport and go to restaurants, livelihoods were being destroyed, workers could not cross borders and tourism businesses were suffering.
“We see families torn apart by not being able to grieve together. That is right now,” he said.
“The Queensland Premier needs to stick to the plan, reopen under less-harsh and truly devastating restrictions once we meet the agreed national cabinet vaccination targets, because until we do so, Queensland isn’t truly open”.
Assistant Minister for Women and Industrial Relations Amanda Stoker said the Premier’s comments were dangerous and encouraging vaccine complacency.
“The national plan is clear: vaccination is the path to stability, confidence and freedom. It’s irresponsible for Queensland Labor to undermine it,” she said.
“I’m under 40 and had my first dose of AstraZeneca without problems – and I encourage everyone to reject Labor’s politics of fear.”
The Doherty Institute released a statement on its modelling describing the 70-80 per cent targets as the “light at the end of the tunnel”.
“It won’t be possible to maintain a situation where there are no cases at all. The focus will shift to keeping the number of people going to hospital and dying at a minimum,” it stated.
“The team of modellers from across Australia led by the Doherty Institute is now working through the implementation issues specific to the states and territories, specific populations and high risk settings.”
Meanwhile, NSW recorded 753 new Covid-19 cases, Victoria added another 50 to its tally and the ACT had a record 30 cases, with all three states in lockdown.
Australian-first dual vaccine to win over the hesitant, compromised
A combined Covid-19 and influenza vaccine is being trialled in Queensland in the hope it will protect people who otherwise cannot have, or are hesitant about, another type.
‘The biggest public health threat of our times’
Experts say instances of self harm linked to social media use are at virus epidemic levels, labelling it “the biggest public health threat of our times”.