Editorial: Courage from leaders on coronavirus vital

It will require all Australians to take some responsibility to minimise the impact of coronavirus.

TIMES of great uncertainty call for great leadership.

China has been praised for being the only country to successfully contain coronavirus to date.

In order to take control of the situation, China was fast to take drastic measures when it locked down 50 million people.

Yesterday the world watched on as Italy was forced into lockdown. The European country had initially tried just to isolate affected regions but was eventually forced into a more drastic course of action as the virus continued to spread.

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There are more than 110,000 reported cases now worldwide and in Australia, where we have more than 100 confirmed cases, last week we saw the first instances of the virus being transferred among people in the country rather than as something that was imported from overseas.

Yesterday the president of the Australian Medical Association’s WA branch, Andrew Miller, said that while there was no need to panic, he feared Australia was about four to five weeks away from where it should be in terms of preparations.

For anyone who is worried they may have come into contact with either Hobart or Launceston’s first confirmed cases as both patients disobeyed instructions to self-isolate, it’s been a testing few days.

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A national hotline set up for those concerned about possible infection has been overwhelmed and many have been left feeling unsure about where to turn. While dozens of people were told they were at very low risk of infection, they worry that somehow they might contribute to the spread — a heavy burden for anyone to bear.

Basic public health messaging needs to be delivered more consistently. There needs to be a co-ordinated approach between the states to ensure no health authority is caught napping.

Because it will require all Australians to take some responsibility to minimise the impact of coronavirus.

People need to feel empowered and supported to make sensible decisions to stop the spread. Businesses will have to respond, organisers of major public events, such as sports matches or festivals, will be forced to consider their immediate future. In making those tough calls, it’s important to consider that sometimes, it’s better to be safe than sorry and some short-term pain might be better for the country in the long run.

For a great many of us, we are not just feeling overwhelmed about the health risk to our vulnerable loved ones, we are also unsure about what the impact will be on the economy.

Again our leaders need to act with courage and calm.

For Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, it’s about ensuring they steady the ship as confidence falters.

Our leaders’ billion-dollar coronavirus cash splash should ease the immediate squeeze on the economy. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump hinted at a stimulus package and the market responded immediately, returning a 3.1 per cent daily gain so, most importantly, we should remain hopeful.