WE'RE SLOWLY GETTING ON TOP OF THE VIRUS. NOW TO SAVE PEOPLE'S JOBS

More encouraging news.  The rise in new cases of coronavirus in Australia - 406 since 3pm yesterday - is still too high, but the rate of increase is the lowest in weeks: 12.8 per cent. One more death, of a 91-year-old woman, brings our toll to 14. But the death rate among those infected here is about the lowest in the world: under 0.4 per cent.

More encouraging news today on our fight against the coronavirus. The rate of increase in cases   in Australia continues to slowly drop from last week's frightening highs, and the mortality rate from those infect is about the world's lowest.

 

 The rise in cases - 406 since 3pm yesterday is still too high, but the rate of increase is the lowest in weeks: 12.8 per cent. One more death, of a 91-year-old woman, brings the toll to 14. But the death rate among those infected is about the lowest in the world: under 0.4 per cent.

[UPDATE: official figures were updated a couple of hours late. They now show   469 new cases, for 3635 confirmed cases in total since the outbreak started. That gives us a mortality rate (among detected cases only) of  0.385 per cent  and a rate of growth over the 24 hours of 14.8 per cent, very slightly lower than the day before and much lower than last week.  Of all countries with more than 1500 cases, only Israel has a lower mortality rate, although we should treat all figures with caution, given differences in how many people are tested and how.]

 And all this is before we could detect the effect of the latest measures - this week's drastic shutdowns and the forcible quarantining of our main source of infection - travellers from overseas.

Our governments should be planning now for an urgent return to work for most Australians, albeit with some restrictions.

But this is still a dangerous and highly infectious virus, and we need to fight hard to stop it. The question is how best to do it without causing millions of Australian unnecessary loss and pain. It is not a choice between doing nothing or too much.

I have argued for a Taiwan model: far tougher quarantine supervision of travellers and those in self-isolation. Plus even better tracking of people who are possible carriers, although it seems that work is in hand.

I'd now add we should also require  big shops and offices, at least,  to scan the temperature of customers and hand out sanitiser.

And to repeat: we must have much more protection and services for those most likely to die from the virus - anyone over 65 or suffering from illnesses such as cancer.

But let's get back to work to pay for all this.

A dramatic change in strategy is now required so that the government doesn't burn the country in order to save it. As I say, Taiwan is the model.