At Last, Some Common Sense on Covid! By James Reed

The great article by Sam Shahin, Peregrine Corporation executive director, is entitled, “Gladys Berejiklian has done the nation a favour, now other leaders must take heed – Covid-zero is an unrealistic target.” It is the most common sense on Covid published in the mainstream in a long time. Here is the punch line, basically, live with it, forget zero Covid. Agreed. https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/sam-shahin-gladys-has-done-us-all-a-favour-by-allowing-covid-to-escape/news-story/abb37af6ce8a02ca264fb8106894df7a?rsf=syn:news:nca:aa:spa:edm&utm_source=AdelaideNow&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Editorial&utm_content=ADV_PREM-PM_CUR_01&net_sub_id=284309317&type=free_text_block&position=1&overallPos=2

“We are a smart nation and we can plan. The “train is coming” and the high beams are on. We must acknowledge that.

Whether we hit vaccination milestones is almost arbitrary. There will be bigger caseloads and there will be deaths and we need to accept that. There are deaths from various causes, all the time. In 2018, Australia recorded 1250 deaths directly linked to influenza virus. That figure was 36 last year. We need to accept the fact this disease is dangerous and that some of us will perish from it.

It is brave, or naive, of anyone to assume that any political leader will risk reappearing from behind the shadow of health advice, especially when we’re on the doorstep of state and federal elections.

Get the message right. We are a sporting nation. I would like those we all relate to to be the broadcasters headlining the messaging. Send epidemiologists back to the basement levels of big hospitals and challenge leaders to lead, to prepare the population for what’s coming, and to not act surprised when it does.

If Covid is not already in our community, it soon will be. We should not be afraid. We must trust that humanity has endured those challenges in the past and adapted.

We are one country. It is vaguely amusing to witness the rise and rise of the republics of Western Australia and Victoria, and the diminishing stature of the federation. If you were a state leader, you’d absolutely do the same. They’ve taken advantage of poor national governance and we, as a nation, may have crossed a line that will define our future, and our history. We must resist the damage being done to our nation in front of our own eyes.

How likely is that to happen? Your guess is as good as mine.”

It is going to have to happen, or else economic collapse, sooner rather than later.