Governments' Covid-19 Policies In Disarray - People's Health A Secondary Consideration

Written by: Ned K. on 25 December 2021

It's Christmas Day and across most of Australia, State and Federal Governments' Covid-19 policies are in disarray. 

Only a few weeks ago they were telling us about "Freedom Days' when State, Territory and International borders were opening to allow the swifter movement of people and goods and money and that due to higher vaccination rates, Covid 19 was under control. Zero Covid-19 cases was no longer a necessary goal due to high vaccination rates and the alleged lower potency of the Omicron strain of the virus.

Even the Victorian Andrews Government went along with this ""opening up" policy initiated by the Federal Government with the NSW Government boasting about its neoliberal approach towards Covid-19 and people's health.

What was this all about? One suspects that the big business backers of the Federal Government in particular demanded that the billions of dollars made in profits in the lead up to Xmas must not be reduced by ANY further restrictions of movement of people, goods and services, including financial services.

The wealthy also wanted freedom of movement to go to their holiday "palaces" over Xmas - New Year period and to be entertained at corporate sporting events such as the Tet Cricket Ashes series and the Australian Open Tennis in January.

The politicians at the behest of business assured us not to worry about the new Covid-19 strain. 

However, people were suspicious. Numbers of positive cases of the new strain started rising at a most rapid rate in to the thousands per day in some States. 

Morrison federally and the Marshall Liberal Government in SA continued to put on a brave face that all was well, business could thrive under their leadership(s) leading in to the federal and SA State parliamentary elections.

Sensing a growing backlash against their neoliberal Covid-19 policy, they started to make concessions.

For example the SA Marshall Government came out and put a 35,000 crowd cap on the Adelaide Test cricket match and Cricket Australia (a fine corporate body!) said not to worry because all spectators had to show proof of Covid-19 double vaccination and everyone had to wear face mask protection while walking around and while seated when not in the act of eating or drinking.

In practice, the checking of double vaccinations only lasted for one of the five days of the Test and the wearing of masks while seated was not enforced at all!

How many actual Covid-19 positive cases or close Covid-19 contacts were at the Oval will probably never be revealed. All in the name of profits for the corporate interests from TV to the alcohol industry.
In the last week before Christmas, the Morrison and Marshall Governments were in disarray with their Covid-19 policies. As the week progressed, they completely changed their story. Morrison nearly choked as he had to come out and support the idea of people wearing a mask indoors! 

Premier Marshall in SA and the irresponsible NSW Government made mask-wearing compulsory indoors, except in private homes, and announced restrictions on numbers of people in private home gatherings.

The rich people in the wealthy suburbs of capital cities started having members of their own families coming down with Covid-19 and the anxiety of more and more people in the middle class suburbs sent alarm bells to Governments about their election chances next year!

Big business will put up with this during the normally quiet January. However, we can expect a return to the "opening up the economy" mantra in about a month’s time!

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