Editorial: Time to be proud of our Premier

EDITORIAL: For Peter Gutwein, battling the coronavirus outbreak isn’t about playing politics, winning votes or gaining the public’s admiration — it’s about saving lives, and it’s personal.

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has been the most proactive politician in the country in terms of measures put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Despite all of his efforts, he’s had to front the public to break the news that two fellow Tasmanians have lost their lives as a result of COVID-19.

He’s had to stand beside the Director of Public Health Mike Veitch as he admits, despite robust investigations, the authorities have been unable to detect the source of two infections in the state’s vulnerable North-West community.

And one can only imagine the sinking feeling he felt when he was informed that two mainland tourists visited nearly every major Tasmanian attraction in the state while contagious with the virus.

For Mr Gutwein, battling this killer outbreak isn’t about playing politics, winning votes or gaining the public’s admiration — it’s about saving lives, and it’s personal. You need only watch him address the media pack each morning to see the authenticity.

Despite the measures and restrictions Tasmanian lives have been lost. That must be hard to swallow, particularly given those people caught the virus while out-of-state on the cursed Ruby Princess cruise ship whose passengers should never have been allowed by NSW authorities to freely disperse across the country.

Yesterday Mr Gutwein introduced further restrictions.

Racing in Tasmania was shut down, scalloping, sex work and garage sales all banned, while more severe restrictions were placed on food markets.

He’ll be criticised, undoubtedly, in some quarters for being too tough.

Premier Peter Gutwein during one of his daily coronavirus briefings. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Tasmania is already likely experiencing community transmission. Two people have died and others have slipped through the gap, and that’s despite the already wide-ranging measures that have been put in place. We would be naive to ignore just how contagious this virus is and how devastating it can be to populations if it’s allowed to spread.

Our population is vulnerable. Our health care system is vulnerable.

Others will say the measures aren’t enough and that we should be in total lockdown.

For those of us who have heeded the Premier’s warnings over the past week — and we hope that’s most of us, but suspect too many are still flouting the rules — cabin fever is already setting in.

Social isolation, anxiety and depression can be very real outcomes of these major changes to life as we know it.

On top of that is the crippling impact of our economy in a total shutdown. It’s easy to say lives are more important, but a state or a country in ruin for years to come will carry with it its own toll.

And so, Mr Gutwein has taken steps in the time that he, with the best available medical advice, believes to be right. He deserves our support and our trust in making those calls.

People get up in arms about the details, but it’s absolutely up to us to use our common sense in applying the regulations and to do our bit in stopping the potential community spread of this virus.