Harvard-trained epidemiologist shocked at Australia’s handling of pandemic

The man who first predicted covid’s devastating spread has delivered a sobering insight into Australia’s future pandemic status.

The Harvard-trained epidemiologist who predicted — before anybody else in the world — that covid would devastate communities as it spread from Wuhan has delivered a sobering analysis of Australia’s position.

Eric Feigl-Ding raised the alarm on January 20 last year as the first faint signs of a global pandemic emerged from the Chinese city that we now know was ground zero for a virus that would go on to kill almost four million people.

He has watched closely as countries around the world try to keep the virus at bay. His assessment of Australia’s efforts is bleak.

“It’s horrible,” he told news.com.au.

Dr Feigl-Ding, who wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this week about what he called Australia’s “abysmal” vaccination rate, said Australians should be concerned.

“Australia is where India was during its surge (in terms of vaccination rates).”

RELATED: 18 new local cases in NSW on Monday

Vaccination rates in Australia compared to other G20 nations, including India.

He said not only had the Federal Government failed in its attempts to acquire enough vaccine doses to meet demand, but that failure was being compounded by the arrival of the Delta variant in Sydney.

“For Delta, I fear (Sydney’s lockdown) is too little too late,” he said.

“Community spread may have grown too much. Once it hits critical mass, the chance it’ll fizzle out is much harder. And the lockdown isn’t like a Wuhan style tight lockdown.”

He said he was “hopeful” the lockdown “may be enough” but thought it would be “a close call”.

Writing about the situation to more than 500,000 followers on social media, Dr Feigl-Ding said Australia also has an issue with masks.

“Further embarrassing — healthcare workers in Australia still only use mere surgical masks instead of formal high grade N95 masks in hospitals,” he wrote.

“Not even KN95 or FFP2 premium masks. This is shamefully inadequate (healthcare worker) protection for an airborne virus.”

21) Further embarrassing — healthcare workers in Australia 🇦🇺 still only use mere surgical masks instead of formal high grade N95 masks in hospitals. Not even KN95 or FFP2 premium masks. This is shamefully inadequate HCW protection for an airborne virus. AUS need to switch ASAP. https://t.co/0buOMwJOY5

— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) June 26, 2021

NSW went into a two-week lockdown on Sunday after the cluster linked to a case at Bondi Beach grew by 30 cases.

There were an additional 18 cases recorded on Monday in NSW, but the virus is also spreading to other states and territories.

Five miners from a gold mine in the Northern Territory tested positive to the virus. Seven workers from the mine flew into Melbourne and are isolating until they receive negative results.

The NT was thrust into a 48-hour lockdown on Sunday.

There was also a positive case recorded in Western Australia — a woman who flew into Perth from Sydney.

Queensland recorded three local cases on Sunday and two local cases on Monday, including one that was linked to the NT mine.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian appeared to target the Federal Government on Monday over her growing “frustration” at the lack of vaccines available to the public.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We have to plan for the weeks and months ahead. I’m frustrated people aren’t doing that other levels. We need a plan for the future to make sure it’s accessible to everyone,” she told reporters.

“We have to plan for the weeks and months ahead. I’m frustrated people aren’t doing that other levels. We need a plan for the future to make sure it’s accessible to everyone.”

Mr Morrison on Friday said states should reconsider interstate travel bans for the fully vaccinated to ensure we “keep Australia open”.

He told Sky News host Paul Murray on Thursday night that he had urged the state premiers to consider allowing the vaccinated to travel more freely.

He stressed the idea did not represent a “vaccine passport” as was reported when he first raised the idea to ensure Australians had greater certainty on interstate travel.

“I did raise this a few months ago when I was over in Perth. It got written up as a sort of vaccine passport; that’s not what it is. It’s just simply saying if you’ve been vaccinated, state governments would recognise that and you’d be able to move around,” he said.

“These are the steps we’ve asked the states to consider, both to support the vaccination program but also that when people get vaccinated we can keep Australia open behind international borders.

“I’ve put it to them, they’re not ready to accept that as something you can do.”

— with Samantha Maiden