Covid- 19 caught everyone in the blue. Nobody was ready for such social distancing norms. No one would have imagined that the virus of Chinese origin would put the world at a standstill. The fight with Covid -19 is ongoing. Some of the countries are performing well in this fight while others are not particularly doing well while others are incorrigibly hit by the pandemic.
One of the countries that have performed well in times of pandemics is Australia. the response of Australia to Covid – 19 has been lauded even by Dr Fauci. Keep for a few intermittent lockdowns, life in Australia has been completely normal or perhaps much normal when compared with the rest of the countries.
The first reported case of the coronavirus was in March 2020. These cases were from overseas travellers who might have been contaminated overseas and spread the virus in Australia. However, even after the second wave of the pandemic, the active cases in Australia did not cross 1,000. This is an exceptional figure for a population of 26.36 million people.
The figure seems magical when considered the fact that Australia started its vaccination drive as late as Feb 2021. This data makes Australia an idol and its scheme, a mantra to be followed by other countries. While many factors like geographical isolation are at interplay, other countries can learn many things from Australia in their fight from Covid.
Lessons from Australia
Swift and quick actions – when Covid 19 posed itself as a real and evident threat to the world, Australian authorities were quick to read the warning on the wall and act on it. the federal government sealed the international borders immediately. Mandatory home isolation was also imposed on Australian citizens to prevent community spread.
The police force was put in action to check that people did follow the instructions of staying at their homes. This was the first shut down since the Spanish flu in 1919. The impact of these actions did show up. Not only did they stop the rabid transmission of the virus, but they also bought the authorities’ time for making effective strategies.
Bipartisan unity- politics is dirty and is a game of ambition where every party is hungry to meet its end to reach the top of the echelons of power. However, Australian political parties put these differences aside in the wake of the pandemic so that swift and effective actions could be taken to make an early recovery.
For instance, when the federal government introduced a $130 billion-dollar economic bailout package, the parliament passed it within a day of sitting. This enabled the executives to implement the policy early and effectively. Many leaders met to form strategies to combat the virus and share data.
Trust among the demography- just like every other country, the government in Australia is criticised by a chunk of citizens but there always has existed a base level of trust in the minds of people. Australians did not worry about the expense of getting themselves checked because of the universal health care system.
Conclusion
Trust, timely decision-making, and cooperation are the key take aways from the Australia’s performance against Covid-19.