Editorial: When it comes to Covid we need sensible decisions, quickly

The current Covid threat means our authorities need to pivot again and again as unforeseen and fast-changing issues arise in the coming days and weeks, writes The Editor.

Just a week ago we all breathed a sigh of relief after national cabinet adopted new definitions for close contacts.

It was a commonsense move made by authorities who could already see how the old definitions were going to decimate the workforce.

It was another sign of how fast this pandemic is unfolding that just a week later the rules had already again become unworkable due to major pressure on testing facilities and pathology services.

It had led to chaos and confusion in people trying to do the right thing and comply with the rules, only to find that they could not as testing lines were too long, services were closed and chemists were out of stock.

It meant people couldn’t confirm they had the virus and left many scratching their heads.

That included healthy people seeking to leave seven days of quarantine as a non-symptomatic close contact but who were unable to return to the workforce because they couldn’t get their hands on a test proving they weren’t sick.

Yesterday we saw more common sense out of national cabinet as leaders sought to make rapid antigen tests available to more people at testing facilities and vulnerable people through chemists, although this will still take time.

People will no longer need PCR tests to confirm a positive RAT result.

They also changed rules deemed to be unnecessarily putting pressure on testing, like making truck drivers get weekly tests and the requirement to retest international arrivals and test interstate arrivals that will soon be relaxed everywhere but WA.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Prime Minister Scott Morrison accepted there will still be “tension” over the next few weeks as Australia copes with supply and demand problems being experienced worldwide.

But it’s hoped these changes will make it easier for the people who most need to get tested to do so.

Chief health officer John Gerrard has said Queensland will have hundreds of thousands of cases soon, possibly by the end of the month.

There’s little doubt authorities will need to pivot again and again as more issues arise in coming days and weeks, particularly as more people return to work after the holidays and children go back to school.

In welcome news, it was announced states and the Commonwealth have agreed to work on a national framework for the management of schools and that will be outlined within the next fortnight so that schools can “go back and stay back”, under a consistent, national approach.

But many parents will be panicked to learn that the Premier and her Education Minister could not directly answer if remote learning was on the cards again – they would only say modelling was under way and multiple scenarios being considered.

No one wants children to be put in danger, but it is also essential their education is not disrupted any further.

These are all decisions that must be made quickly, but must also be open to review as situations unfold.

We welcome agile leaders who continue to review requirements and consistent decision-making that people can follow.

Originally published as Editorial: When it comes to Covid we need sensible decisions, quickly