Tell us rate of sickness and death, not number of cases

My wife and I (in our 80s) have especially noted the debate in The Australian concerning the premiers’ panic approach to every new Covid case. Now we have the insanity of nearly all the states and territories being in total lockdown because of what is, literally, a handful of new cases (with no serious illnesses, let alone deaths).

I was particularly interested in recent comments concerning Singapore’s approach to the issue of concentrating on the numbers of people who actually get sick, are hospitalised and/or die from Covid. Some correspondents have pointed out that Australia has gone about it all completely back-to-front and maintained an air of confusion, uncertainty and panic among the populace.

I find it incomprehensible that it has not been a mandatory requirement for all public transport personnel (drivers, conductors, pilots and air crew) to be fully vaccinated before being allowed to do their job. The same goes for all personnel in hospitals, aged care facilities (now being addressed) and people working in stores.

I do question the hang-up about compulsory vaccinations espoused by many when such compulsory requirements were the norm when we were kids (for example, for diphtheria, tuberculosis X-rays, the Salk polio vaccine). You couldn’t travel into any country without having a smallpox vaccine, or vaccines for typhoid, yellow fever and so on where applicable.

I suggest that the thrust of the debate should be that Australians demand of the state (and federal) governments that instead of concentrating on the number of cases, there should be a definitive statement about the number of people who actually get sick (and the severity of such illness), as well as those who finish up in hospital and/or die.

No matter what happens from here, the damage that has been done to businesses, families and social attitudes will leave a scar on the fabric of the Australian make-up for decades.

Peter Jamieson, Carrar, Qld

There is an unwritten but clearly understood agreement between the people of Australia and their governments. We, the people, agree to give you money, in the amount of hundreds of billions of dollars, every year. You, the governments, agree to govern effectively, efficiently and fairly. You agree to treat us like educated adults in a first world country. My question to the Prime Minister, all premiers and all chief ministers is: We have kept our part of the agreement. When are you going to keep yours?

Rob Arthur, Erina, NSW

Great articles by Ross Fitzgerald (“In the grip of Covid health fascism”, 30/6) and Janet Albrechtsen (“No place for provincial pointscoring in a crisis”, 30/6)

Fitzgerald writes, “Come next March, unless a lot changes, Scott Morrison, who is supposed to be a great marketing salesman, will have failed the one big task he set himself. By then the mask mandates, border closures and lockdowns many citizens welcomed as necessary precautions could be seen as burdens that have to be suffered only because the federal government was incompetent and dilatory at getting people vaccinated … The Morrison government failed to challenge state border closures, even by states with no Covid cases against other states with no cases.”

And Albrechtsen wrote, “Neither is the Liberal Prime Minister setting a high standard in educating Australians about the unreality of an elimination strategy. Under Scott Morrison, the lucky country has become the prison nation. This derangement continues because Morrison and his cabinet are not speaking frankly with Australians.”

Morrison is a salesman and not a very good one.

Tom Walker, Manly, NSW

With the benefit of hindsight, the overall management of the Covid-19 pandemic has been disappointing. A nationally managed approach would have been more effective and efficient. Different states and the territories deciding independently on border closures without regard to the national impact is not the way to go. But the national decision-making has also left much to be desired. Canberra has been tardy in securing sufficient Pfizer stocks mid-last year. And the changes on who can have what vaccine has confused the public, as well as some medical professionals. All up, not a good effort – even when taking into account the ever-present difficulties.

Michael Schilling, Millswood, SA