Every cluster can teach us

ON Monday, Victoria recorded its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. Victoria recorded 127 new cases bringing the state’s total to 2660. Two men, one in his 90s and the other in his 60s, died from coronavirus, bringing the state’s death toll to 22.

The spike forced NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to close her state’s borders with Victoria — despite her previously saying border closures were “crazy” and she didn’t understand the policy.

In making the announcement, Ms Berejiklian demanded other states and territories open up to all Australian interstate travellers other than Victorians.

Queensland is due to remove its closure to all states but Victoria on July 10. The Northern Territory is due to do likewise on July 17, with South Australia re-evaluating its July 20 date.

Here in Tasmania, Premier Peter Gutwein has previously said our state would reopen on July 24, but that the current situation in Victoria could lead to that date being changed.

Mr Gutwein will provide an update later this week, but he flagged in Monday’s Mercury that he may reconsider opening to Victoria until the community spread is brought under control.

There is understandable angst in the community about the potential spread of the virus from interstate travellers. Tasmania has eradicated coronavirus, and residents are beginning to enjoy a return to some sort

HOW QUICKLY THE PANDEMIC SITUATION CAN CHANGE SHOULD BE A WAKE-UP CALL FOR ALL OF US THAT WE’RE FAR FROM THROUGH THIS CRISIS.

of normality. People are anxious it could be reintroduced, forcing us back into lockdown and, of course, that any kind of spread leads to more loss of life. We’ve already seen 13 people in Tasmania die of COVID-19 — that’s 13 people too many.

But the commercial reality is that we cannot close our borders for ever.

We are already anticipating our international borders will remain closed for some time to come, but Australians need to be able to travel interstate.

Obviously, large parts of Melbourne communities have been forced into lockdown with a huge increase in testing.

We know that isolation, testing and tracking is the only way to stop the spread and regain control. We also know that before a vaccination is developed there will be more outbreaks across Australia.

Indeed, a world-leading infectious disease expert Dale Fisher today tells Mercury readers that we have to learn to live with the virus. Prof Fisher has praised Victoria for its efforts in controlling a cluster without closing down an entire state.

Tasmanians in the state’s South remember all too clearly living in lockdown, despite our part of the state not recording any new cases for weeks when the North-West cluster was being brought under control.

It seems this kind of response will become part of our future, and there will be much to learn from the Victorian response.

Mr Gutwein will likely follow the lead of other premiers and open Tasmania later this month to the other states with the exception of Victoria.

But how quickly the pandemic situation can change should be a wake-up call for all of us that we’re far from through this crisis.

Responsibility for all editorial comment is taken by the Editor, Jenna Cairney, Level 1, 2 Salamanca Square, Hobart, TAS, 7000