Covid-19 has turned the world upside down. Different people and communities have had very different experiences. In my state of Queensland, it is almost a different world. To illustrate I share the data above, which prompted a three-day lockdown in Brisbane. For reference, Queensland has a population of 5.2 million.
A number of factors have contributed to the relatively positive situation. Australia is an island. Our borders were closed early. There was unity between state and federal governments. Generally, lockdowns have been pronounced promptly. Although Australians do not like authority and are a rebellious bunch, lockdowns and mask mandates have generally been observed. We are not immune from conspiracy theories and vaccine hesitancy. But, overall we have not been plagued by the same level of "politicisation" that has hobbled other countries.
In some ways, I feel I am living in a different world.
Yet, some of this good fortune should not lead to pride and complacency. Things may still come unstuck. The Delta variant is spreading in Sydney and half the country is in lockdown. The government vaccine rollout has been dubbed a "stroll out". Only 12 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. Australia is currently ranked last among the OECD countries.
The associated "blame game" has even been featured in The New York Times.
Maybe Australia was too successful with dealing with Covid-19 and people thought it would not be necessary to push for a fast vaccination campaign?
ReplyDeleteThe number of people vaccinated per day in Queensland (assuming that day is representative) is the same as the number of people vaccinated per day in just one of the vaccine centers in Copenhagen. Even if it is the largest center, the difference is shocking.
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