A better way of dealing with Covid-19

In addition, 'the Australian Government has secured the rights to manufacture millions of doses of the potential vaccine - called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 or AZD1222 - if trials are successful and it's approved. Plus, it'll be free'.

Why aren't ScoMo and his cabinet listening to another Professor of theoretical epidemiology at Oxford University? She is a top disease expert who has urged Australia to abandon its 'selfish' and 'self congratulatory' lockdown tactics and embrace a Swedish-style herd immunity strategy to fight Covid-19.

Professor Sunetra Guptasaid the Scandinavian country of Sweden has 'done quite well in terms of deaths' - despite its record of 5,300 fatalities not comparing with Australia's much lower level.

The Daily Mail (4 July 2020) reported: 'Sweden holds the fifth-highest rate of deaths per capita in the world after the Nordic nation took its own path and declined to close its restaurants, bars, schools and shops to fight the spread of the virus.

Sweden took the soft line, as opposed to Australia's tough stand. The Daily Mail provided a photograph of Swedish locals lapping up the sun next to a social distancing sign which they ignored. The Swedes were sunbaking at Malmo, Sweden in June. They took their own liaise-faire line, in spite of recommended discipline. Could this have as much to do with the Swedish worldview of liberty than to abiding by the recommended Covid-19 course of action?

While the Swedes ignored their government's recommendations – with no fines for infractions – Australia's shopping precincts of shopping centres, restaurants, pubs, clubs and streets remain deserted. The tourism industry around Australia is ruined by the strict cross-border restrictions.

Alan Jones commented:

• 'No proper checks and balances to lockdown measures' (President of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia, Robin Speed).
• 'Health advice should have been released months ago regarding lockdowns, keeping children out of school, or shutting businesses'.
• 'You can't travel more than 5km from home for essential items (Melbourne); curfew is from 8pm-5am; limiting numbers in restaurants. Shut the borders'. Where's the evidence to justify these actions?'

'I'm telling you there is none' (Jones).

'The central issue is, "How much have we been duped and sold down the river by the response?"' (Alan Jones).

Conclusion

It took a shock jock to alert me to these facts – yes, facts – about the Covid-19 virus:

• We have been tricked into allowing unelected officials – such as Queensland's chief health officer, Dr Jeanette Young – to influence government policy. This policy includes:
  • Closing state borders, restricting numbers of people in restaurants, social distancing regulation, and school closures.
  • These measures were taken with the view of restricting Covid-19 deaths. I didn't read public evidence to support these policies.
  • There are many infectious diseases for which there is no vaccine and these are controlled in the community, e.g. Dengue, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Hookworm infection, Venezuelan haemorrhagic fever, and schistosomiasis.
  • The whole suite of strategies used to prevent Covid-19 from spreading across Australia should have been released months ago to provide the evidence to implement these policies.