Dear Readers,
Victoria WAS the centre of Covid-19 disaster in Australia for more than 5 months, but now everyone has their attention upon Adelaide.
Victoria is now 17 days straight with zero infection and zero death, but Adelaide has 17 new positive cases. South Australia is then immediately declared as a hotspot and different states imposed 14 days quarantine on visitors from Adelaide. Australia is serious in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall immediately imposed restrictions including suspension of an international flight, community sports, gyms, recreational facilities, and trampoline and play cafes, capping of funerals at 50 peoples and church at 100, and private gatherings at 50, and residence at 10. Masks become mandatory for personal care and aged care services providers and clients and others.
The source of the community infection was from hotel quarantine program. With the lessons learned from Melbourne, every government is quick to respond. We hope that the Adelaide cluster can be contained and Australia can continue its path of Covid-clean.
It is now clear that hotel quarantine program is a bomb to every city. The tempo of any city is fast with people moving around. Outbreak from such a program is always possible even with the greatest caution and preventive measures. Australian governments should consider moving all the quarantine programs to regional areas where the movement of people will be slower.
Yes, we cannot keep our border closed for a long period. Many Australians are waiting to come back to reunite with their families. We definitely should allow Australians to come back from overseas. With all parts of the world now under the control of the virus, to quarantine everybody safely becomes a must. A regional quarantine program will not just protect cities from being infected, but also allow cities to operate in its normal speed. People can also support their loved ones in quarantine by staying with them in regional areas.
A Covid-normal protocol will need to be developed for Australians returning from overseas.
The outbreak in Adelaide is a “wake up call” for all of us.
Regards,
Raymond Chow
Publisher, BlessingCALD
16 November 2020