Australian Medical Association President Tony Bartone is urging states to pause any further easing of restrictions until Victoria has gained control over recent coronavirus outbreaks.
Mr Bartone said the recent surge in virus cases is a prime example of the rapidly changing nature of the pandemic:
“So it’s an appropriate time or message at the moment to say everybody let’s just hit that pause button”…
“It’s not a rush to the finish line, it’s a marathon and we need to learn to live with this virus and not become complacent and deal with it for many, many months to come.”
“It’s not having an acceptable number of caseloads, it’s about understanding that you know where the virus is and you’re able to contain, isolate and stop it spreading further.”
There is also an economy to worry about.
With community transmission almost non-existent outside Victoria, and Victoria now closed-off from other states:
There’s little reason to pause reopening in these non-Victorian jurisdictions.
The only reason why Victoria is in its current precarious predicament is because the state government botched its quarantine process for returned travelers.
This tells us two things:
- Australia’s international border must be kept shut to all but returning citizens and permanent residents; and
- Quarantine must be managed by experts, such as the ADF.
