These guys just don’t know when to stop. At the AFR:
The outbreak of the coronavirus has had a profound impact around the world and brought to light how integral modern-day China is to our economy and society. Dealing with the fallout of the disease, renamed COVID-19, has been a challenge for governments around the world with regards to health, risk mitigation, cultural sensitivities and economic management.
We fully understand the medical concerns and advice that have driven the Australian government’s decision to impose travel bans on non-Australian citizens arriving in Australia, but with new infections plateauing in China, it is time the government lifted the ban when it reconsiders the matter later this week.
…Canada is a good comparison given its similarities to Australia with its own large ethnic Chinese population and extensive commercial links to China. The Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed its public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low. It has refrained from imposing a travel ban on non-citizens and the numbers of infections have remained stable at 10 – far from the outbreak feared by those who advocate for a closing of borders.
The flip-flopping Kouk does another neck-breaking volte-farce in support:
A sensible take on things https://t.co/DvuCsXsdxR
— Stephen Koukoulas (@TheKouk) February 25, 2020
Clearly they don’t give two hoots about the medical concerns:
- the CCP data is clearly manipulated and very much in doubt as the virus is spreading fast across the globe;
- China itself has used blockades to good effect and still is;
- Canada is only testing people that have recently been to China or if you’ve been in touch with a [proven case of the virus;
- during the Spnish Flu of 1918, US cities that shut borders had far fewer deaths than those that opened them;
- just one super spreader could shut down the entire Australian economy.
Throwing open the border is an asymmetric bet. The benefits are minimal while the risks are huge.
You would think that business people and economists would have some notion of this basic principle.
Paid not to, I guess.
