A better way

SIR, – My aviation business is in another lockdown. Premiers have decreed I can’t work. We are directed to live off our savings – as we were last year.

Look up ‘www.worldometer.info’. By comparison Australia’s numbers are miniscule.

In mid-august, for every Australian with an active COVID case, France has 68, the United Kingdom 730 and the USA 4412.

However, in the USA, 46 states have lifted all restrictions – 4,977,696 active cases; UK, restrictions lifted – 940,285 active cases; France – no internal travel restrictions – 99,017 active cases.

In Australia – borders are closed, businesses shut, Victoria is in a sixth lockdown, 12-million Australians are in lockdown. Leaders are in panic mode.

The last Victorian lockdown cost $100-million a day. This cost is to cafés, barbers, clothes shops, musicians, florists, tourist operators, performers, hospitality venues. They’re told to dig into savings and superannuation. Decisionmakers – immune from the consequences and oblivious to the cost of their decisions.

Australia’s responses are extreme compared with countries like us. Small businesses take the hit – as always. Unfair. Unsustainable. Premiers race to see who can have the lowest numbers.

Vaccination – get this fixed. It’s time to come up with a better way. After the Delta variant, we will have the Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta variants. Is our plan to lockdown through these as well?

It’s time to come up with a better way. Andrew Kube A.kube Aviation, Nhill

New promise

SIR, – ‘Vaccination freedom’ is the new promise from politicians at all levels. Okay, so if I am vaccinated against COVID-19, I will be allowed to attend concert and sporting venues. Hmm, I will be exposed to new and worse viruses. So, what was the point of freedom? B. Quince Ararat