When Covid was detected in Sydney’s northern beaches area, the peninsula was locked down strongly by the Berejiklian government. While that cluster seems to have been contained, outbreaks elsewhere around Sydney have thrown some curious decisions into the limelight.
From the time that Covid was detected in Avalon, Health Minister Hazzard whose seat is in the area, tried to take a positive approach. He, the premier and the chief medical officer emphasised the great work being done not only by health workers but also by local residents. Testing took place in great numbers and people heeded advice to stay home and venture out only for necessary purposes related to mental and physical health – care, exercise, food shopping and work.
This determination to thank people for their efforts rather than to punish the miscreants might also have led to some curious decisions. For example, mask wearing was recommended but not declared mandatory. Hazzard cited the difficulties for bus drivers forced to supervise mask wearing. Yet at the same time, the government had no qualms about expecting businesses to enforce social distancing, provide sanitation, insist on masks and obtain accurate personal records for tracing purposes from all shoppers and diners.
At the daily press conferences to update the situation in the beaches and further afield, the chief medical officer found it appropriate to wear a mask – but only sometimes. It is possible that mask wearing might have physically prevented the virus spreading further afield. It is also possible that mask wearing gives individuals a greater awareness that they have responsibility to stop the spread.
In another curious decision people were prohibited from visiting the peninsula north of Narrabeen, but were allowed to visit homes in the southern part of the beaches. These visitors then returned to areas outside the beaches.
The softly softly approach was applied to the Boxing Day sales, especially in the Sydney CBD. People were advised not to go. It is puzzling that this instruction stopped at advice. If it was important for people not to go to the CBD, surely this too should have been mandated.
More curious decisions concern the holding of two unnecessary public events: the New Year fireworks around the harbour and the ‘Pink Test’ at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Although the advice about the fireworks has become firmer as the virus spreads there is plenty of wriggle room for people from the peripheral hotspots in the north (Central Coast), west (Blue Mountains) and south (Illawarra) to find viewing points in parks and homes and office blocks around the harbour. As in the case of the cricket test match, the state government seems to prefer that local government authorities and sporting organisations take responsibility for the behaviour of crowds.
It is interesting to compare the leadership shown by Premier Gladys Berejiklan during the bushfires last summer and that she has displayed during the pandemic. Between the two, of course, her reputation suffered somewhat as a result of her involvement with a former MP hauled before the Independent Commission Against Corruption. There is also the federal factor. During the fires, the premier’s leadership compared very favourably with the vacuum at the national level. During the pandemic the prime minister has criticised Premier Andrews of Victoria for the hard lockdowns imposed on the people of that state. At the same time he has praised Berejiklian for her moderate style of control.
Whether such political factors have influenced Berejiklian to adopt her pleading and praising approach is unclear. Another factor could be that she had such confidence in bushfire chief Shane Fitzsimmons. Not only that but she must have appreciated that the public had great confidence in Fitzsimmons as well. So she knew that she could show strong leadership when necessary in that earlier crisis.
This might seem to be an unfair comparison to make with the unelected health officials in the current circumstances. Nevertheless, the term ‘unprecedented’ applied to the bushfires just as well as to the pandemic. It could be that Fitzsimmons is an outstanding individual capable of learning quickly and so there was no issue with endorsing his lead.
Greater Sydney should now be locked down completely. No-one should be allowed in or out except in cases of absolute emergency. Any delay in taking strong action will result in the exponential growth in the number of cases across New South Wales. This will mean that strict lockdowns will have to be mandated anyway and they will be required for much longer periods because of the delay caused by some curious decisions indeed.
Dr Tony Smith is a former political science academic with interests in elections, parliament and political ethics.
Dr Tony Smith is a former political science academic with interests in elections, parliament and political ethics.
Comments
5 responses to “How NSW lost control of the virus. Yet Scott Morrison said that NSW was the ‘gold standard’ in infection control.”
Before making suggestions of lockdowns the author should have answered these innocent little questions.
Where is the evidence for the existence of the novel Coronavirus – Sars CoV 2 and the accuracy for the Polymerase Chain Reaction? [which isn’t even a test]
f.e.
The politicisation of this virus is a disgrace and it has mainly been initiated by the Liberals and their media propaganda machines, News Corp, Sky News and Nine Entertainment (SMH, Melbourne Age).
I note now that even when it is NSW/ Sydney undergoing a viral outbreak, the same rotten media is trying to distract from Glady’s problem by criticising Dan Andrews again, and particularly his temporary border lock down to stop NSW drivers from entering Victoria while carrying the virus.
Yet when South Australia does the same with NSW, there are no comments – its a Liberal run state. Funny that.
Meanwhile in all of Andrew’s efforts in dealing with Victoria’s second outbreak, he avoided the same sort of besmirching of even the prime minister, while dealing with utterly biased journalists (?) like Credlin by not entering into their fake news coverage and outlining why he would not. The world acknowledge him as the gold standard for such a rapid recovery, but of course Scott from marketing would prefer to have his tongue removed as Christians did regularly up until the 17th Century, rather than give any compliment or endorsement to a Labor politician.
Gladys, who I hold far less respect for than you, cannot be seen in political tactics to want lock down too much because if she did, she may also appear to be like “Chairman Dan” which would expose some of the hypocrisy of her supportive media machine. That’s the sort of ad hominem low level the media trots out for Dan Andrews and Labor states while it follows the prime ministers view that NSW is somehow “gold standard”. How could it be when it let most of the Coronavirus into the country in the the first place and continues to do so. You also won’t find too many soldiers around hotels that are designated for quarantine either, something Andrews was castigated for not doing.
I would also say Gladys who receives millions in donations to her party is also pushing for business to remain the open, while paying less attention to the science and peoples’ health. Many experts have cautioned her to mandate the wearing of masks. It falls on deaf ears. I’m sure that even if the outbreak in Sydney/NSW reached the same proportions as in Melbourne/Victoria, she’d still be painted my the mainstream media as some sort of Mother Teresa.
Let’s also acknowledge that she got off very lightly with the Maguire case, where others, if they were Labor politicians would have been smashed, especially since Maguire’s business which he run from his office was connected with gaining favours for mainland Chinese business customers. For some reason the media totally overlooked that, but by comparison could run weeks of tirade against Shaoquett Moselmane over nothing.
Apart from the Maguire fiasco, she was also caught out up to her neck in pork barrelling electorates to which she only replied that it was “not illegal”. Ethical? Gladys has trouble with that word. This seems to be the newest trend among Liberals and a behaviour very similar to Morrison et al with the sports rorts, and the regional grants scheme (which most of the media hasn’t even discovered yet for some reason).
Excuse my sarcasm, but I sometimes wonder that when a Covid-19 vaccine is made available in Australia whether Liberal Party members and Liberal electorates will receive the jab first, along with the elites of Australia’s 1% of mega rich billionaires. All people are equal but some are more equal than others. An adaption from Orwell, but it should be the Liberal Party’s motto.
While Gladys may have acted reasonably well during the bushfires last year, she spent the rest of the year giving farmers much more freedom to clear land from precious native forest, and for farmers and developers to destroy more koala habitats in a complete capitulation to John Barilaro. She’s also freeing up the state for more coal seam gas and allowing more coal mining. Like most Liberals she doesn’t quite get what causes climate change and loss of species.
Meanwhile the Morrison sideshow continues, and more promises are made to popularise himself, yet often never delivered on. Let’s note Morrison, earlier in the year, said all Aussies stranded overseas would be “home by Christmas”. He also said Australia would be “among the first” to receive the world’s most promising vaccine (a lot of margin for interpretation in that statement). Finally he also claimed that we’d be manufacturing a vaccine by years end, and we’d be on top of the virus by Christmas (clearly the virus is a Christian).
Of course Morrison will be taking all the kudos, while the states do the hard work as usual as he takes another holiday apart for scripted and pre-recorded appearances and giving the impression of being Santa Claus. It’s almost a re-enactment of last year’s Hawaiian holiday. His attack dogs will do the dirty work of saying “too bad job seekers, go find a job” when our real unemployment rate is something nearer to 13% than the official sanitised figures.
Excellent summary George, thank you – a real shame our media is not up to doing the same.
Spot on
Dr Smith: thank you for a thought-provoking post.
I am not sure of my understanding e.g:
a. Lost – or may lose – control?
b. Contained in northern beaches – cases in other suburbs are traced back there?
c. The problem with thanking people?
d. Miscreants not punished – party from the northern beaches to a CBD wedding?
e. What is curious about not passing laws for everything? Didn’t prevent (d)?
f. Mask wearing might have prevented the virus spreading further afield. When? cf (b)?
g. Advice or instruction for Boxing Day CBD sales? Result?
h. hotspots? Like Blue Mtns – 0 cases/18716 tests last 4 wks?
h. Unelected health officials – as is the NSW bushfire chief?
i. Vacuum at the national level during bushfires – for State responsibilities?
Four other points.
1. Anti-Covid decisions, not advice, are (by law) made in other States by (unelected) officials despite the pretence of Premiers – e.g. Vic border by deputy chief health officer today. A reading of Loielo v. Giles might be an eye-opener.
2. criteria for ‘lockdown’? Southwest Sydney 8cases/36,210tests last 4 wks. Views on Melbourne? 5/13,108 tests yesterday?
3. have read the Rockefeller report. Yes, there are examples of Australian Govt. anti-democratic practices but a lockstep ‘conspiracy’ apparently debunked in July.
4. real curiosities are: go ahead for SCG test – common personalities etc. with SFS demolition (on ‘safety grounds’)? Initial nth beaches case – associated with NSW doing too many of Australia’s arrivals, other States doing too few?
Happy New Year