Fewer Australians will accept lockdowns in future pandemics, report says

By The Straits Times | Created at 2024-10-29 22:22:59 | Updated at 2024-10-30 07:22:23 23 hours ago
Truth

Updated

Oct 29, 2024, 04:32 PM

Published

Oct 29, 2024, 03:34 PM

SYDNEY – Australians have lost trust in their government, and many are likely to resist drastic health measures in a future pandemic, the first review of the country’s Covid-19 response has shown.

The cost of vaccine delays, meanwhile, ran into A$31 billion (S$26.9 billion).

Rebuilding and maintaining trust was key to fighting future pandemics, the 877-page report released on Oct 29 said. It found programmes like vaccine mandates left a legacy of fewer vaccinations for Covid-19 and other diseases today.

“Community feedback suggests that since the pandemic, some mainstream audiences have become more sceptical and critical of government decision-making,” it said.

“The initial high level of adherence and cooperative response to significant restrictions is unlikely to be repeated in a future public health emergency.”

In a response credited with helping keep the rate of excess deaths among the lowest in the world, Australia shut its borders to non-citizens in March 2020 and did not reopen them until the following October.

Various states also enforced months-long lockdowns throughout 2020 and 2021.

However, a 2024 survey cited in the Oct 29 report found a third of respondents thought the government overreacted to the pandemic.

The report also found that controversial delays in acquiring and rolling out Covid-19 vaccines cost the economy A$31 billion.

Australia said it would immediately act on one of the 26 recommendations in the report by providing A$252 million to fund a permanent Centre for Disease Control to plan for future pandemics.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the government would study the report closely and decide later on other recommendations. REUTERS

Read Entire Article