History’s stark warning in our rush to reopen borders
KEEP the border shut until it is safe to reopen it. The border should not be a political issue, according to the state’s LNP MPs in a letter to the Bulletin (23/05). If that’s not playing politics then I don’t know what is. Being a smallbusiness owner, developing risk assessments comes as second nature. They ensure the financial security of my company, and the health and safety of my workers. The Queensland LNP members should try and complete a risk assessment before opening our borders, and not let history repeat itself.
In 1918 the influenza pandemic – known as the “Spanish flu” – spread through Europe. It was hoped that cases of Spanish flu would drop off over the summer of 1918, and there was hope at the beginning of August that the virus had run its course. In retrospect, it was only the calm before the storm. Somewhere in Europe, a mutated strain of the Spanish flu virus had emerged that had the power to kill a perfectly healthy young man or woman within 24 hours of showing the first signs of infection. The coronavirus appears to be getting stronger the longer it continues.
The sector most affected by a closed border is tourism, NOT education or manufacturing as state LNP members would have us believe.
International travel is not available at the moment, so holidaying in Australia is the only option, and what better place to holiday than the Gold Coast? This would bring people from all over Australia to our coast, and almost certainly bring COVID-19 with them.
This hazard could lead to multiple deaths and thousands of casualties. So if the likelihood is almost certain and the outcome results in many fatalities, a business owner would be jailed for letting workers complete the job. Yet state LNP
MPs find it an acceptable risk.
We have been very patient so far, and the worst of this pandemic is behind us, but we could go back to the start very. very easily. I understand businesses are suffering, but imagine the consequences of starting over again. How many businesses would survive another four months? What would the cost be to our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries? Imagine what it would feel like if your parents or grandparents died as a result of opening our borders a month earlier than it is safe to do so.
SHAUN CUNNEEN, MOUNT NATHAN