Editorial: Masks off means normal but in Qld we’re far from life as normal

The mask mandate will be lifted when the state hits 80 per cent first dose. It should be a signal that life is back to normal. But Queensland is far from being back to normal, writes The Editor.

The state government has done a remarkable job of convincing Queenslanders that following strict health protocols is our best way to get back to some semblance of normality. And Queenslanders have done an extraordinary job following the usually necessary directions, even though many of the restrictions have been hard to endure – especially for businesses.

Given that backdrop, it does seem confusing at best and incongruous at worst for the government to now say that when the state hits 80 per cent for first dose vaccination we will no longer have to wear masks when so many other restrictions remain in place.

It will be a welcome thing that the mask mandate will be lifted when the state hits 80 per cent first dose – likely tomorrow – however masks being jettisoned (even if only for a month or two) is a signal that life is back to normal.

But Queensland is far from being back to normal.

People wear masks as they walk through central Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The border is still shut and if we do venture south, getting back to Queensland still requires a stint in hotel quarantine (until December 17). And then there is international travel. The government is adamant that Queenslanders will not be able to travel internationally (at least not without quarantining on the way back) until we reach 90 per cent fully vaccinated – at least January.

So while we applaud that our jab rate is getting up and we can see reward for effort with the lifting of the mask mandate, the government is now contradictory in its message: are things back to normal or not? Masks will be gone but we will still be restricted in so many other ways.

Looking around, it is becoming increasingly clear that many people have decided it is time to get on with life regardless, even with the imminent threat of the Delta variant. In many parts of the southeast, masks are now lucky to be worn by 50 per cent of people – while vaccination hesitancy remains a crucial issue in the regions.

That’s why the Palaszczuk government must forge ahead with relaxing restrictions in line with increasing vaccination rates. The requirement of 90 per cent of people being double-vaxxed to open up the international borders may prove a bridge too far, considering the rates of hesitancy remaining stubbornly above 10 per cent.

On that basis, the Premier must juggle that fine line between getting the vaccination rates up as far as possible (to ensure the hospitals are not overrun when the inevitability of an outbreak occurs) and at the same time re-examine those opening-up dates. It is becoming increasingly obvious that society will become easier for those who are vaccinated, and much tougher for those who are not. Business is right to be sceptical about what is and isn’t allowable when the borders reopen in mid-December.

Domestic tourism will certainly spike, as southerners converge on Queensland to soak up the sun and sand. However, international tourism has been left out in the cold for too long, and Ms Palaszczuk must find an answer to overseas visitation. Opening the skies to international flights, without the quarantine restriction, is sound policy for those who have been double vaccinated and undergo mandatory Covid testing.

The new messaging around dropping the mask mandate at 80 per cent is positive news and it will be greeted warmly. But the snail-like pace of decisions giving people the freedom and liberties they crave is not helping. Queenslanders need more clarity and confidence to plan for the future.