Fears Qld’s COVID-19 gains could all be lost
There were tearful reunions alongside huge traffic jams, as our NSW cousins were welcomed back into Queensland on Friday. It appears our state is returning to normality, but that normality can be quickly snatched away, warns The Editor.
Opinion
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FRIDAY, July 10, will be remembered as a landmark day in Australia’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
Queensland’s reopening of borders was broadly celebrated.
Qld borders: Heavy traffic as Queensland reopens to interstate travellers
Long traffic delays expected as Queensland border reopens
There were tearful reunions at airports, and huge traffic jams at road borders as our NSW cousins came for a holiday or to catch up with friends and relatives.
It appears our state is returning to normality.
But that normality can be quickly snatched away.
That was rammed home by the COVID-19 update from Victoria, which is received each day with an increasing sense of dread.
Yesterday’s update was the worst any state has reported since the start of the pandemic.
A huge 288 new virus cases and, worryingly, just 26 of those are linked to known outbreaks.
And doomsday modelling forecasts that Victoria will record up to 1,349 new coronavirus cases every day by the end of July unless the state can bring its new outbreak under control, according to a new study.
Exclusive modelling by the University of NSW shows there will be at least 500 new cases every day by the end of next week, with infections doubling every five days.
Everyone in Australia is praying Victoria’s new lockdown will be enough to halt this terrifying spread of COVID-19.
But everyone also needs to be aware that a similar outbreak could happen in Brisbane, or Sydney, or anywhere.
It’s why, in a state with only two active cases, we need to persist with social distancing and appropriate hygiene.
It is almost certain that people with the virus will breach our borders, and they’ll probably be completely oblivious.
By doing the right thing, any future outbreak will be a spotfire and not the raging bushfire we’re seeing in Melbourne.