Premier’s COVID test fallout: Life’s a breach, unless you’re Gladys

Health guidelines say you must self isolate after COVID testing and await results or breach the rules - unless you’re Premier. Well if it’s good enough for Gladys, it’s good enough for me, writes James Morrow.

DATELINE: HOTEL QUARANTINE – Thanks, NSW Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres!

I know that I still have four or five days left to go on my 14 day confinement after flying back from the US.

But given your advice on Q&A last night, I reckon I ought to pack my bags, call an Uber, and head on home right now.

And when I am grabbed by the weedy security guy sitting outside my hotel room door (though I think I can outflank him), or more likely am crash-tackled by the big ADF guys downstairs, I can say with hand on heart and a knee on my chest that “I … don’t … have … any symptoms”!

Gladys Berejiklian greets a traffic controller at the Victorian border checkpoint. Picture: Getty

When asked why Premier Gladys Berejiklian continued to work on Budget Day despite having had a scratchy throat and waiting for results of the swab, Ayres told the program, “I don’t think she had any COVID symptoms … she took a precautionary COVID test, the results came back in a couple of hours.”

“I think she has evaluated what’s important for her, I think that she’s not exhibited any symptoms and she’s done the right thing,” he added.

“So we can all do that, just evaluate for ourselves?”, host Hamish Macdonald asked.

“If you’re not exhibiting symptoms and you’re taking a precautionary test, I think what the premier’s done is right,” said Ayres.

Well, that’s good enough for me. No symptoms, feeling fine, I am outta here.

Stuart Ayres defended the Premier last night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Never mind that for the rest of us, NSW Health Guidelines state you must self isolate if you have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting results.

But while the apparent hypocrisy is breathtaking – and was startlingly backed in by other guests – it’s also clarifying.

Around the world we have seen coronavirus protocols being busted in ways large and small by politicians playing by a different set of rules, and now it’s our turn.

The tacit admission here is that for the vast majority of people, COVID-19 isn’t a big deal if they catch it (one mate’s entire experience with the disease was to lose his sense of taste for six hours, unfortunately for him it occurred when he was picking furniture for his new house).

Berejiklian made a calculated risk, and it came out fine.

Following her example, she should let the rest of us take more too, loosening up everything from the 4sq metre rule in restaurants to the number of people we can have around for Christmas drinks.

And while it’s too late for me but there’s also no reason that after a negative test returned travellers shouldn’t be allowed to isolate at home for the remainder of their 14 days.

Anyway, looking down at the street I can see my car’s here.

Oh nice, they sent an Audi.

Ouch … what … hang on … that wasn’t necessary … hey, where are you taking me? Hey! HEY!