Dan Petrie: Economic, mental health reckoning upon us after yet another stressful snap lockdown

There’s a deadly threat impacting Queenslanders that’s as serious as the Delta variant – and it’s getting worse with each snap lockdown, writes Dan Petrie

It’s the ‘other’ pandemic. Just like Covid-19 we can’t see it, but it’s deadly impact is clear.

While there is no questioning the serious threat of the Delta variant within the community, more must be done to tackle the economic and mental health reckoning that is upon us. The Queensland Government’s daily press conferences follow a predictable routine of attacking Canberra, stoking parochialism and using health advice to justify politically-motivated decisions that limit civil liberties. The consequences of this political jingoism has whipped up anxiety across the state, particularly among small business owners who are at, or beyond, breaking point.

More support is needed to curb the stress and anxiety brought on by snap lockdowns, particularly for those trying to run small businesses. Picture: File

Lockdowns do have a cost. Many of our fellow Queenslanders have contemplated self-harm and ending their lives, with the Salvation Army, Beyond Blue and Lifeline all reporting an unprecedented number of calls for help in the last week.

One hundred active cases of Covid-19 are currently being treated in Queensland hospitals.

The National Retail Association is at the forefront of industry where this latest incursion on personal liberty is more than just an inconvenience. For a lot of people, it has become a case of survival.

Association CEO Dominique Lamb described the Queensland Government’s Wednesday briefing as reckless when they deterred people from shopping – even online – in an industry that is the second-largest employer in the nation.

“We employ the most youth, our workers will not have jobs, our businesses will not be able to continue to trade. This is lunacy at its best,” she said in a video posted by the NRA.

Chief medical officer Dr Jeanette Young’s deliberations should be scrutinised in light of decisions that give the appearance of double standards for some industries, while continuing to place insurmountable hurdles for others.

Live music operators, theatres, cinemas, pubs and food vendors have borne the brunt of snap closures throughout the pandemic.

Uncertainty is the ultimate killer for any business and the health crisis we need to be talking about is the one of mental anguish created by government. Yet, when this legitimate issue is raised, reprimands ensue. Gigi Foster, a University of New South Wales school of economics professor was attacked following her appearance on ABC’s QandA where she observed the impacts of lockdown.

Closed shop signs are displayed in downtown Melbourne amid a sixth lockdown for the city in efforts to bring the Delta outbreak to heel. Picture: Con Chronis/AFP

“The economy is about lives. It’s about protection of lives and human welfare and livelihood. You can make an apples-to-apples comparison although people find it difficult to do so.”

A large part of the audience seemed shocked that someone expressed an opinion that fell outside the incredibly narrow view of our all-knowing CMOs.

I spoke with Prof Foster last week and she said that we need solutions that are far more nuanced than the current ‘close border-lockdown-freeze everything’ policy.

“The untold costs in business uncertainty, a lack of investment and the decline in overall wellbeing of society have resulted from lockdowns that are too broad in scope, smash business confidence and punish the poor,” she said.

“Australia has relatively low population density and for that, and other reasons, our rates of serious symptoms and death from Covid-19 if we opened up are unlikely to mirror what’s been seen in places such as the United Kingdom, India and the United States. And even if they did, lockdowns wouldn’t be the right weapon for fighting Covid.”

Health professionals every day have to make decisions about treatments that will either prolong life at a considerable cost to the taxpayer or treatments that will give the best chance for a younger cohort of people to live. That is the world of health policy and while it might jar some readers, it is a rather unremarkable view as it underpins the deployment of health assets in any country.

But until governments can balance protecting lives and livelihoods, we will barely scratch the surface of these deep-rooted issues.

Dan Petrie is the Chief Information Officer of data analytics firm, Grafa and a former Economic Data Editor at Bloomberg LP who also goes by the name of Data Dan – do you have a data question? Email [e-mail]

Originally published as Dan Petrie: Economic, mental health reckoning upon us after yet another stressful snap lockdown