PLEASE ACCEPT SUCCESS: VIRUS DOWN TO CRAWL, EMPTY BEDS
Who can now deny it? The worst is not happening with the coronavirus and our politicians must tell us their exit strategy. Three weeks ago newspapers declared: “Australia prepares for 50,000 to 150,000 deaths.” Two weeks ago, they shouted: “Australian ICU beds to run out by April 5.” But look: 35 deaths as of this morning and lots of empty beds.
Who can now deny it? The worst is not happening with the coronavirus and our politicians must tell us their exit strategy.
Three weeks ago newspapers had headlines like this: “Australia prepares for 50,000 to 150,000 deaths.”
Death toll as of this morning? Just 35.
Two weeks ago, newspapers had headlines like this, quoting a Medical Journal of Australia study: “Australian ICU beds to run out by April 5.”
In fact, hundreds and hundreds of beds yesterday lay empty. A report yesterday on Melbourne’s Austin Hospital noted: "The emergency department has never been so quiet.”
Of course, we must stay hyper-vigilant, but the dreaded peak of this coronavirus now looks unlikely to come, or at least come soon.
A virus which once infected 35 per cent more Australians every day, slowed to just 3.3 per cent by 6am yesterday.
In fact, Victoria had a drop in people actually sick right now – from 625 on Wednesday to 588 on Saturday.
This suggests our politicians and medical experts have had a stunning victory.
If their bans had no cost, I’d say keep going. Let’s all stay at home for the promised six months until there’s … what? No infections at all?
But there is a cost. A frightening one.
For instance, elective surgery was banned to free up all those beds that now lie empty. People missed out on operations they need.
Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Australians have lost their jobs and millions are under virtual house unrest, banned even from visiting their children.
We need now an exit strategy. First, though, as I’ve said often, we must be more militant in forcibly quarantining the infectious. I back proposed by politicians in Western Australia and South Australia for ankle trackers.
We must also do far more to isolate and tend to those most likely to die. That’s a well-defined group - all our dead have been older than 70, apart from four in their 60s who seem mainly to have had serious ailments and diseases such as cancer.
Aboriginal communities, where health is poor, must be closed off.
Do that, and we can then slowly relax the restrictions that stop people from working, and put the lonely into virtual solitary confinement.
Our politicians have had a huge victory. Now they must make sure it doesn’t come at a price we’ll regret.