Letters to the Editor, March 25, 2020

In your Letters to the Editor today: Gap year 2020: ventilator shortage makes doctors play God; and different world, different rules.

2020, the gap year I never had

THE year 2020 should be known as the gap year, courtesy of COVID-19. Personally, I was never able to afford a gap year, but it is now imposed on me starting with the gap between people to avoid transmission of the virus. Then there is the gap between the notion of Australians as devil-may-care supportive mates and the reality presented by shelf-clearing at supermarkets. There is the gap between science and religion in that some people believe communion wine shared by many people couldn’t possibly spread the virus because it was protective.

Politically there is the gap between globalisation and our need for self-sustainability through manufacturing which is compromising health workers who need face masks and ventilators to treat the infected. Add to that the gap between credibility and any statement by Donald Trump. A major gap is between socialism and capitalism but that is being closed by Scott Morrison in his attempt to help businesses survive and in supporting the newly unemployed.

Another shrinking gap was witnessed in Tasmania’s parliament where three parties dealt with something critical to our health. There is another welcome gap, that between Tasmania and the mainland and this may prove the salvation of Tasmanians. Regrettably there is also the gap in the likelihood of us learning from this disaster and the reality of politics resuming its normal, destructive, unproductive cycle.

Bridget Landrell , West Hobart

Cash still legal tender

ON Monday I went to a Caltex service station to fill up my car. Entering the store I produced a $50 note and immediately was told by the attendant that from Tuesday the store would not be accepting cash and you can only use your card to tap or swipe through to pay for your purchase. My response was that cash is still legal tender and not everyone has a tap and go card or wants to swipe due to extra fee charges, until I am told by the Prime Minister that all cash is banned I will continue to use legal currency, but as for Caltex you have lost my business.

Daniel Webb , Glenorchy

Supermarket backup

WITH the ongoing pandemic, I am heartened to see how most of us are working together. I am a pensioner and am so pleased we get the opportunity to shop in relative peace. The supermarkets have been doing an amazing job, but there are always people who push the envelope.

I am concerned for the safety of the one or two staff who are trying to keep the herd back while pensioners have their hour. Maybe we could mobilise the military to assist with security. We have only just begun. How are we looking if it lasts 10 months or more?

Therese Vincent , Moonah

Loving your local

WHEN Federal Hotels penned the slogan “Love your Local” they clearly were not referring to themselves. It would have been more pertinent to read “Love your Federal” and acknowledge it was simply a crude way to influence the Liberal Party for their own interest. Perhaps now, after Federal’s callousness towards “our locals”, the Liberal Government may demonstrate the same fortitude they have shown with the current health crisis and actually stand up to their paymasters by ridding them of their wretched doohickeys.

Ian Broinowski , Battery Point

UnAustralian

SCOTT Morrison is reported as saying about panic buying that, “It is not sensible, it is not helpful and it has been one of the most disappointing things I have seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis.” While I totally agree with his comments, the same could be said for his government’s policy towards refugees. Locking them up in offshore detention centres is as unAustralian as panic buying.

Garry Wilson , Sorell

Granny-dumping worry

THE term “granny-dumping” is used by staff when women are brought to hospital because relatives can no longer cope or wish to go on holidays. There is no term grandad dumping. In one study, older women were 1.5 times more likely to be victims of psychological abuse, twice as likely to be victims of physical abuse, 2.3 times more likely to be victims of physical injuries and 2.1 times more likely to be victims of neglect than men.

Abused older people are more likely to be female, cognitively impaired, in poor physical health and dependent on others. Elderly vulnerable women will be most at risk of coercion to accept euthanasia. If euthanasia is legalised, granny dumping will become a much more ominous term.

Maree Triffett , Lenah Valley

Lack of ventilators makes docs play God

TASMANIA has an older, more vulnerable population, with limited intensive care resources. If/when the coronavirus crisis hits us hard, there will most likely be a real shortage of ventilators to support the respiratory systems of the gravely ill.

Doctors here will have to choose (yes, play God) who will be saved based on the risks and benefits as shown from the experiences in the pandemic

These sad choices are now being made in Italy and Spain, where younger, fitter patients are being supported by ventilators – in preference to older patients who are dying without them – because they have the best chance of survival (and a longer future life).

This is about the lack of resources, not God, and it will also break the hearts of caring intensive care specialists here to have to go down this path.

Older people in rich societies have never had to seriously think about this before, but we may well have to now.

Peter Cooper , Sandy Bay

HOT TOPIC: DIFFERENT WORLD, DIFFERENT RULES

Precision tools, not bulldozers

IN 1919, every person in Kingborough diagnosed with Spanish flu was quarantined in a field hospital. There was one in the north of the municipality and one in the south. Patients were cared for by bush nurses. The Warden was pleased to report in his Valedictory for 1919 that no deaths occurred. In the meantime, business and schools continued as normal.

Today we read about a local lad recognised in the top of his field by the World Health Organisation (Mercury, March 24). He recommends enforcing strict quarantine for anyone who has been in contact with a positive case of COVID-19 and isolating all positive cases in hospitals. The result is proved by a very low infection rate and extremely low death rate in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea. Business and schools continue.

Evidence from history and from the present suggests that treating the patient, not the population, is the best way forwards. Precision tools rather than bulldozers to crack the nut.

Kees Wierenga , Kingston

School holiday fix

TASMANIA’S public schools switched from a three-term to a four-term year in 2013. Then-education minister Nick McKim cited evidence of learning loss over long summer holidays that could be partially addressed with four terms. Unfortunately this has not been the case. An AEU survey showed 59 per cent of public school teachers wanted the three-term year retained. With the commentary on school closures, a concern would be that once closed, how would the decision to have them reopened be made, and could there be up to a year of lost learning? If schools are to close — and this should be on the health advice provided to the Premier and Prime Minister from official sources — thought should be given to a three or even two-term year.

Term 1 break could be extended to up to six weeks. This would see Terms 2 and 3 of 15 weeks each or a Term 2 for 30 weeks with no loss of learning. If the health situation has not deteriorated by start of Term 2 on April 27, a four-week break at the end of the following term could be considered and a Term 3 of 20 weeks could take place with no loss of learning.

Terry Polglase , Lindisfarne

Cut forestry burns

IN this new and alarming time of a respiratory pandemic it horrifies me that non-essential forestry burn-offs are continuing. The forest industry (Sustainable Timber Tasmania) continues regeneration burns where forests have been clear-felled in order to make regrowth more suitable for future logging. These regeneration burns are not to be confused with fuel reduction burns. The smoke pollution from regeneration burns is totally unnecessary in the face of increased risks of deadly respiratory illness due to coronavirus. Why is it business as usual in Tasmanian forests?

Felicity Holmes , Blackmans Bay

Whoa on major projects

EVERYTHING has changed, we are in very difficult times: no tourism, no immigration, no population growth, inevitable recession, depressed economy. It is the right time for a temporary halt on the Major Projects Bill consultation, Tasmanian Planning Commission review, the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Tourism Master Plan comment, and the Local Provisions Schedules. We are in a different world where terms like social distancing, self-isolation and flattening the curve are used umpteen times in everyday conversation. It’s more important than ever to come together as a community.

On the day Premier Peter Gutwein announced a State of Emergency with “the toughest border measures in the country”, the draft WHA Tourism Master Plan was released for comment. Where is the logic, respect and accountability in asking for consultation when thoughts, fears and priorities are focused on survival? We saw politicians unite for Team Tasmania (Mercury, March 19). Unite for all Tasmanians, extend consultation and delay debate on the Major Projects Bill until the Public Health Emergency declaration is lifted.

Anne Held , East Coast Alliance

QUICK VIEWS

Gap guidance

1.5 metres! It’s not just for cyclists any more … But I think some really practical examples of what it means might help. Arm’s length doubled perhaps?

Anne Fisher , Sandy Bay

Set virus timer on laws

GREG Barns is right to warn of the dangers of increasing government powers in times of crisis (“Beware of power-hungry states seizing this ‘whatever it takes’ moment,” Talking Point, March 23). Extreme cases make bad laws, Emergency powers brought in should be explicitly limited to the pandemic crisis, lest they erode civil liberties.

Elizabeth Osborne , North Hobart

Taking money home

WITH the closure of pubs and clubs maybe the stimulus package will go where it is meant to.

Elise Oost , Dover

Hotel generosity

HOW refreshing was it to hear hotel owner Justin Parr of Waterman’s Hotel on Salamanca Place, after having his business closed down due to the COVID-19 lockdown, give away all food stock to those in need. How compassionate was that. Let’s see more of that!

Ronald Gifford , Sandford

Federal jobs blow

THE Federal Group has sacked 1500 of its loyal staff, due to necessary COVID-19 closures. (Remember most of these people wore a Federal Group-provided T-shirt to promote not losing their jobs should the State Liberal Party not be re-elected at the last state election). Where’s job security now?

Raymond Harvey , Claremont

Gutwein at the helm

I AM feeling thankful Peter Gutwein has taken the mantle of Premier. I feel reassured and comforted he is at the helm through these troubled, never encountered before times.

Debra Thurley , West Hobart

Children dying every day

EVERY day 15,000 children die mostly from preventable diseases. Currently about 15,000 deaths from coronavirus. Puts it in perspective doesn’t it.

Paul Merhulik , Blackmans Bay

Beach MAFS

SO can we assume that not all of the people during the Bondi Beach curfew were auditioning for Married At First Sight?

Hank Dikkenberg , Glenorchy

Virus spread

COVID-19. (Me too, says Harvey.)

Michael McCall , Primrose Sands