Daily Times

Australia’s DownUnder isolated location at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere, relaxed lifestyle, wide open spaces and beautiful beaches gave rise to it being known as the lucky country but sadly like most countries across the world in the current grip of this coronavirus pandemic, its luck has run out. Australia’s international and internal borders have been closed to all non residents and coronavirus cases are skyrocketing mainly across the state of Victoria in a deadly second wave.

The extreme contagious nature of this disease sees every country on alert for second, third and fourth waves which is what is happening now in Australia across the state of Victoria. Victoria, which is a state in the Southern end of Australia has a capital city called Melbourne, which is where Pakistan, thanks to its stars of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad won the World Cup of cricket at the MCG in 1992. Due to a variety of reasons, a second wave of the coronavirus is currently attacking Melbourne and the state of Victoria with a vengeance with 96% of all current active Australian coronavirus cases being found in the one state of Victoria. Australia has 5047 active COVID-19 cases with 4839 of them residing in Victoria. Only 206 active coronavirus cases are found across the rest of Australia’s seven states and territories. 190 Australians have lost their lives throughout this pandemic and 106 of them have been from Victoria. The Victorian government has implemented a return, in Metropolitan Melbourne, of stage 3 restrictions and the return to remote learning for school children in Years Prep to Year 10 with the whole state of Victoria also being directed by law to wear face masks when outside for any reason.

Australia, which has a population of 25.5 million people, recorded its first confirmed coronavirus case on January 25^th 2020. The coronavirus first wave of infection peaked in early April with 3,338 active cases nationwide and 80 deaths. The country was able to slow the spread of the disease and steadily and resolutely worked towards its total eradication. By mid June, due to the population’s adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures, extensive national testing and treatment regime saw the active national cases drop to only 382 with 100 Australians losing their lives. Australian federal and state governments should also be given credit for their handling of the management of the fight against this disease and economic and health support of the Australian population. Right from the outset of this disease the federal and state governments daily communication and planning saw the Australian people well educated and informed about what was happening and ways that they could contribute to stop the spread and impact of this disease.

When you look at the rates of infections and deaths from COVID-19 across the world in places such as America where active cases are in the millions and over one hundred and fifty thousand people have died Australia’s numbers seem very low but the impact and attack on its economy and people’s psyche have been high. Australia’s unemployment rate is currently at 7.4%, its highest rate in twenty two years and the federal government estimates a deficit of $95 billion, 4.8% of GDP for 2019-2020 and an estimate $240 billion deficit for 2020-2021. Australian COVID-19 deaths are closing in on two hundred and calls to leading mental health services are up by 30%. The Victorian population, fresh from a Summer of devastating bushfires, are resolute in their mindset to defeat this disease. Victorians, like the rest of the world, have banded together for a fight to the death to return its state and its capital city of Melbourne to a place free of corona and full of joy. In time, this will happen and what a great day that will be.