Covid report exposes many failures at the national level

The report of “draconian measures not justified after first wave” ignores the reality that we had neither a cure nor a vaccination for Covid (“Scandalous Covid betrayal of trust”, 30/10).

During the pandemic, while personal liberties did not trump community safety, certain premiers abused their power.

The Russian roulette was not knowing whether ordinary people would be as adversely affected as the vulnerable.

Reported mental instability from lockdowns reflected whether families had the resilience to deal with external stress and could be related as well to similar results from social media use.

Responsible reporting in headlines is equally important for balanced information.

Rosemary McGrath, Dulwich, SA

Judith Sloan’s article (“Nation’s pandemic pain deserved more than hollow words”, 30/10) was superlative, as was John Spooner’s accompanying cartoon.

I will never forget or forgive the various governments’ overreach, or the hectoring by their agencies. Sloan is right: we don’t need an Australian version of the extremely flawed US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. A post-pandemic waste of taxpayer dollars.

Helen Ivich, Skye, SA

The inquiry into Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced my views about that terrible time in Australia’s history.

I have four young granddaughters who were aged 13, 12, nine and seven at the time of the enforced shutdowns. What I learned about them was surprising. With schools being forced to close, these girls were distressed because they could not see their friends. Visits outside school hours and sleepovers at each other’s homes were not permitted and it was traumatic for them.

Queensland was rigid in its control of the population and vis­itors. I resented this at the time and I have decided I would never allow myself to be constrained like that again. It seems most Australians feel the same way.

Lizzie Haydon, Runcorn, Qld

It is unfortunate the federal government inquiry into Covid was only half-baked. However, it has hinted at the sad irony that, as a population, we are now less prepared to properly deal with a devastating pandemic than before.

Yes, there were undoubtedly instances of panicky overreach, but sometimes very early and very strict quarantining will clearly be the best thing on a local or global scale.

Next time it may be a decimating disease. Successful vaccination cannot be taken for granted. Complete eradication measures must be tolerated.

Sometimes you need to be a clever country, not just lucky.

Gerry Krieg, Hackney, SA

I suggest that the best way to prepare for the next pandemic is to question why our own health experts ditched the 2019 national pandemic plan they had prepared in favour of the Chinese measures of lockdowns and mask-wearing that are now acknowledged to be ineffective, with serious economic and social costs.

In addition, our Therapeutic Goods Administration banned viable preventive medications, and medical rules prevented GPs from giving patients independent advice on the Covid jabs.

That is the future as seen by the World Health Organisation. This review is a good start, but we need to continue the truth-telling.

Peter Balan, St Peters, SA

A few things stand out for me from the Covid-19 responses. They were all political failures of the highest magnitude. And they were heartless abuses of power.

Why is there no memorial in Victoria to the 800-plus who died due to a failure of the Victorian government? Surely they deserve to be remembered. But Daniel Andrews and Labor would prefer it was forgotten.

Why were the teachers unions allowed to stop kids going to school (“Children ‘were punished to protect adults’ ”, 30/10)? The online teaching option has damaged a generation of young people. And those three states – Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia – that shut borders and stopped families attending funerals were just heartless.

Political gain trumped compassion. And the federal government’s failure to properly review the Covid pandemic responses showed gutless, weak leadership.

Lee Smith, Kenmore, Qld