Tassie’s not out of the woods yet with virus cases

While there’s a chance of another outbreak in Tasmania, policing businesses and handing out warnings just isn’t the right approach given our current circumstances. Here’s why.

THERE has been plenty of debate about the further easing of restrictions in Tasmania.

Indeed businesses have been understanding of the state government’s decision to keep our state’s borders closed, but they have asked that other restrictions are scaled back to allow them to maximise local trade.

Understandably there are a couple of reasons the government is reluctant to remove all restrictions.

Firstly, should there be a positive case in the community, if we don’t maintain such measures the number of people potentially exposed increases.

Further, as world-leading infectious diseases expert Dale Fisher points out, we may have to live with coronavirus for a very long time and if a vaccine isn’t created that means at some point we will have to open our borders.

READ MORE: ‘Intimidating’ COVID safety blitz on Tassie businesses

There is a very good chance of another outbreak here and, if so, we’re likely to face further restrictions.

The government wants people to remember we’re not out of the woods yet and to keep the good practices that we’ve learned the hard way.

That said, given there are no current active cases in the state and we’ve been virtually coronavirus-free for some months now, the authorities need to be careful not to come across too heavy-handed.

Policing businesses – and in one case even a library – and handing out warnings and cautions just isn’t the right approach given our current circumstances.

People need to take personal responsibility, as do businesses, and at this stage in the game, the government should be there to provide assistance and education.

Save the big stick for when we really need it.

Our ray of sunshine

ANYONE questioning journalists’ commitment to their work need look no further than our very own David Killick (pictured below).

The veteran Mercury Political Editor went above the call of duty yesterday when he saved a press conference with Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein from a congregation of loudmouth plovers.

Visiting Huonville High School, Mr Gutwein had launched full flight into his spiel about his state’s impressive record on emissions reduction when the ear-splitting kekekekeke from the boisterous birdies drowned him out.

That’s when Mr Killick swaggered into action.

When plovers started interrupting a press conference with the Premier in Huonville, @DavidJKillick put his life on the line to get things back on track. You hear about heroes, but so rarely do you get to meet one. #politas #wildoz #walkleys pic.twitter.com/qzhkcRWmrK

— Sean McComish (@nobyelineplease) August 6, 2020

First he tried a shooing technique but the birds were obviously undeterred, so he moved to a two-armed flapping motion which surprisingly worked at both hushing the feathered friends and amusing the Premier and the whole press pack.

As Mr Gutwein chuckled: “Every now and then there are little rays of sunshine and David provided one today.”