Apathy a danger as winter moves in
Australia’s political and health leaders have warned people to double down on COVID-19.
Australia has reached a COVID-19 tipping point with political leaders, business and health experts warning of the need to address apathy about the potential virus spread as the nation heads into winter.
There is a growing sense of concern Australia could struggle to hold back the virus over the coldest months at the same time as months of relative success is eating away at people’s motivation to defeat the virus.
While NSW and Victoria have so far successfully contained potential recent outbreaks, the number of people using QR codes to help contact tracing remains dangerously low in key states like Victoria, and social distancing and mask use has collapsed on public transport.
Experts are demanding a back-to-basics approach from millions of Australians based on social distancing, hand cleaning, testing, mask use where mandated and commonsense.
Eminent physician Peter Collignon, of the Australian National University, has warned about the potential harm caused by the creeping sense of complacency across the country.
Professor Collignon said it remained essential to physically distance and embrace “all the things we were doing well last year”.
National employer association Ai Group chief executive Innes Willox also blasted delays and complexities to Victoria’s QR system, which has been poorly executed, leading to low compliance rates.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told The Weekend Australian it was critical that people did not underestimate the virus’s ability to spread. “We must remain vigilant and continue to follow the medical advice,” he said.
“While we cannot eliminate the virus we can continue to suppress it as we have successfully done to date. Suppressing the virus is key to maintaining the momentum of our economic recovery.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt has led the national response to pandemic and cautioned Australia’s enviable world position with the virus was not a given.
“While we are safe we are not immune,” he said. “That’s why using QR codes to assist in contact tracing, being tested if you have symptoms, keeping good hygiene and physical distancing as well as being vaccinated will help protect each and every one of us.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Australians not to drop the ball. “Until the vast majority of our population is vaccinated, we must remain COVID safe,” she said.
“Use of QR codes, high rates of testing and appropriate social distancing are key.”
Professor Collignon was concerned about a slackness that appeared to be emerging, drawing on the Indian restaurant in Melbourne attended recently by the infected man from South Australian hotel quarantine.
Many who had attended the restaurant had not bothered to use the QR system, which is central to contact tracing.
He questioned whether allowing 80,000 people at football was good policy, not because of the match itself if held in the open but the lack of social distancing that occurs leading to the game and afterwards.
Mr Willox said the rebounding economy did not need lockdowns and snap border closures based on panicked medical advice with no regard to the broader consequences.
“The difference between our states after an inevitable case is detected is profound. In NSW, business now has confidence the authorities will act swiftly and competently to deal with it. In Victoria, not so much. A wave of dread washes across Victorian business and the community when a new case is detected,’’ he said.
“We would all have hoped that 14 months on Victoria would have developed competent and professional systems and expertise to deal with small outbreaks. The evidence is not certain that it has.
Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett said it was distinctly possibly that the virus could “get away quickly” if there were too few vaccinated.