2020, best described as the year ravaged by Coronavirus. Australia like the rest of the World was not spared. Australia’s remarkable response and resolve however in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic has been commendable thus far.
Do remember this post is an insight at a particular point in time. I have no idea how long and which direction this pandemic will take us and Australia.
As we handle this, we might take take a fork in the road that might not serve us well or make us a respected model.
So back to 2020, a year that brought people, businesses and countries to its knees.
And a bucket load of surprises in the way leaders and countries responded. Ardern standing at one end and Trump at the other portrayed how disparate the responses are.
I however was impressed by the Australian Federal and State Governments responses. Even more impressive that the larrikin in us was subdued in this instance.
We toed the line with conviction in the main. The statistics on a per capita basis says a lot about Australia’s handling of this unfortunate and unexpected crisis.
How others have done
It is not the case in the UK where pandemic and pandemonium were in spades. The country that gave the world the rule of law did not measure up. Somehow the wheel for the order and adherence fell off.
US was not a surprise as diversity and individual rights agendas and interest overtook societal concerns. Conspiracy theories were rife.
With the US President in denial, it was going to be a dog’s breakfast. It still is 9 months down the road.
If you asked me a year back to name 10 countries that would impose a travel ban on its citizens for an event like this, Germany, Singapore and Japan would have made my list but not Australia.
The only issue and a sad one is the ability to allow thousands of Australians stranded overseas to return in numbers.
Not allowing foreigners on the other hand to come in during the pandemic is expected in view of our long ingrained quarantine DNA to protect the country.
Singapore in comparison was a surprise. I read that their citizens are allowed to fly to the UK in August at the height of the pandemic. Only to return months later with the recently uncovered UK strain. And since there was no ban, no exemptions were in play and all you needed was airfare and a passport.
Our carefully crafted plans
To understand Australia handling, I had to dig deep. I have since come to understand that central to our response is the National Pandemic Plan which details border closure among other things and supplemented by the National Medicine Stockpile Plan.
All the above brought up to speed much earlier to tackle the then much talked about Bird flu pandemic. So the bird flu fear help get our response playbook to be in order to handle the challenge.
It also took into account the lessons learnt from the highly infectious SARS outbreak that took hold in 2002 – 2004 in neighbouring countries.
So we had plans ready, not designed specifically for this particular newly formed virus but a plan for a possible pandemic and it worked.
It is evident that out scientific community and the policy wonks in Canberra had done the hard yards with the plans. Its execution for this Pandemic was like clockwork.
As these are literally the operating procedures in black and white and not proposals before Parliament, execution was all that was needed.
The usual lengthy debates, deliberation and accompanying grandstanding therefore were avoided. Science and the Public Service led the way.
The resolve of Australians
Now for the second leg, the resolve and that of its citizens in handling restrictions that come with various tough measures. And the adherence to it.
All the States did well and South Australia was one of the front runners in the measures rolled out.
Engaging the people early made the difference. Science again took the lead and our politicians respected the boundaries. You could see the dynamics in play during press briefings with Crisis Management leaders and scientists in our Public Service taking centre stage.
We the people all graciously fell in line. Despite knowing the impact on people we know and their livelihoods such as our favourite cafe, restaurants and pubs. There was little talk about civil liberties, individual rights or freedom of movement. Where it emanated, it quietly died down.
And look at the results in South Australia, 4 fatalities, though sad, a remarkable accomplishment when you look at the numbers in the US and UK on a per capita basis.
We protected our more vulnerable elderly and residents of nursing homes and retirement villages. It was not the case in some of the European countries. Italy and Sweden come to mind. Their elderly paid a heavy price.
Sweden in particular. Despite all allowing Scientists to lead the way and they got it wrong, an exception. Science in the wrong hands or an unnecessary experiment?
Our leaders and experts
Kudos to our Public Service for the plans, the hardwork and its execution. Kudos to our politicians who knew when to step back. That’s leadership right there, knowing when to step back.
The press too played ball and coverage was good.
On a side note about South Australia’s Pizzagate which played out thankfully after a few days.
It looks like our Scientific community were aware of the developing highly transmissible UK strain before it was officially announced. They acted correctly in the first instance with our politicians backing them. Better to be safer than sorry.
Fingers crossed as we aim for the new year.
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