Covid-19 lessons to be learned

Too slow and too sloppy, Mr Andrews. As 37 Melbourne suburbs lock down again, at vast cost and frustration to residents, employers and all who normally interact with those in the 10 postcodes affected, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews needs to answer a few hard questions. First is: why has it taken more than a month for his government to overhaul its shambolic hotel quarantine system? And second: why were the three companies involved in overseeing quarantine exempted from a tender process? The first COVID-19 case in a security contractor at the Rydges on Swanston quarantine hotel was made public on May 27. Total cases in that cluster have since risen to 17. A second cluster, linked to 31 cases, including two new cases, emerged after a security contractor at the Stamford Plaza tested positive on June 17.

Mr Andrews says he acted quickly, setting up a judicial review of hotel quarantine and diverting overseas arrivals to other states for the next fortnight. Responsibility for the quarantine shambles must be nailed. But it should have been far sooner, especially as Victoria, ironically, took pride in putting the most draconian clamps on civil liberties early, driving golfers off the course and clearing fishers from their favourite spots.

What is more important than lamenting the Andrews government’s mistakes is learning from them. That applies to all jurisdictions as they also prepare to face mini-outbreaks that governments and health authorities regard as inevitable as Australians learn to live alongside the virus as the economy continues opening up.

NSW is looking ahead, as Yoni Bashan reports. Senior Berejiklian government officials are preparing for a flare-up in cases and, wisely, are ruling out any move back to a full-blown lockdown. They are looking to precision targeting of suburbs, as they did when some schools were closed for a day or two early in the first outbreak.

Moving quickly and precise targeting are vital. The limitations of lockdowns are becoming clear. As Rachel Baxendale reports, at least 27 of the latest 73 cases in Melbourne were attributed to local government areas outside the 10 hotspot postcodes in the city’s north and west. But for all the angst, the picture needs to be put in context. Amid 10.5 million cases and 514,000 deaths worldwide, Australia ranks 72nd of nations most affected, with 7900 cases and 104 deaths. In medical terms, we are well prepared for outbreaks. We must also reinforce the value of social distancing and hygiene.