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The Forum > Article Comments > If we face a new pandemic will our government protect us? > Comments

If we face a new pandemic will our government protect us? : Comments

By Peter Curson, published 2/3/2020

Perhaps we are to be confronted by a pandemic such as the influenza one in 1918-19 which caused well over 50 million deaths.

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It would have been rather easier for Australia to remain free from this disaster. We are an island and a wealthy first world country which makes border control pretty easy. So all it had to do is:
1) close the borders to all new short term entries. Such as short term tourists and short term business visa (business people just have to use internet solutions in place of physical presence)
2) All people with current non-working short term visas (such as tourists) who are already in the country can stay longer as long as they don't use any government services outside of those allowed by their current visa (eg: short term tourists can contine to say here as long as they pay for themselves)
3) Those on working visas already here can stay longer extending/renewing the existing conditions of their visa (eg: backpackers on working hoilday visas can stay another year provided they do another 3 months of rural work)
4) any people coming long term or permanently as a professional, business person, a family immigrant, tourist, refugee, etc... have to complete an appropriate mandatory quarantine which they pay for
5) likewise any citizens/permanent residents returning home have to be quarantined but the government pays for it.
6) Any imported goods are quarantined/treated appropriately.

Of course arguments against such measures would have been raised. The main one being that the cost is too great- particularly the impact on the tourism industry. But is protection of the tourism industry in Australia really worth the lives of 1%-2% of the population?

As of today it might still be possible to contain and then eradicate the virus here by way of large a effort to locate and deal with any current potential cases already here. And also by implementing an immigration policy like that above.

Tragically it certainly will be too late within just mere days/week-or-two.
Posted by thinkabit, Monday, 2 March 2020 2:36:21 PM
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Will the Government protect us?

The dead need not worry themselves over this question.

Dan
Posted by diver dan, Monday, 2 March 2020 5:58:24 PM
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Stop travelling & tell your friends to do the same & don't whinge when the Govt puts on travel bans !
Posted by individual, Monday, 2 March 2020 7:21:02 PM
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And says ttbn.

*...Take reasonable precautions, get on with life, and most certainly do not rely on the government to do anything...*

Well they have up here in NSW la la land. The Government has chosen this moment in time, to close the district hospitals emergency ward.

Very happy decision among the locals...not.

Dan
Posted by diver dan, Monday, 2 March 2020 8:58:24 PM
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Coronavirus and Flu Likely April/May Melbourne

Our flu season is badly timed with coronavirus' likely spread.

Melbourne may have the "right" conditions for people on a large scale to start catching coronavirus and flu simultaneously. Timing likely April/May onwards.

"right" conditions include:

- onset of cool weather "good" for viruses
- crowded city (on streets, transport and in flats)
- many from overseas, and
- international airports
Posted by plantagenet, Monday, 2 March 2020 10:27:01 PM
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"If we face a new pandemic will our government protect us?" That should've been the question when decisions were being made to trash our self sufficiency for globalism.

"Because the data so far released by China cannot be trusted" True but have to say it's kind of amusing when our government and media say it.

Our governments and agencies will try to protect themselves. Trust in that.
Posted by jamo, Tuesday, 3 March 2020 8:39:50 AM
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