The deputy chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, has made some good points that offer reassurance in what are difficult and challenging times in recent days.
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While reporting the number of national cases jumped from 2252 to 2793 on Thursday, an increase of 541, he reaffirmed this was evidence of the success of the coronavirus testing program.
Australia is conducting more tests per capita than anywhere else in the world and can now test up to 10,000 people a day.
The more the authorities test, the more cases they find. The good news is this means cases are being detected early. The current strike rate now stands at 1.5 per cent, up from 0.5 per cent last week.
The majority of new cases are still being found among overseas returnees, or those who have come into contact with them, and most are quite mild.
Of the 2252 known cases on Wednesday, only 197 had been hospitalised due to their illness.
This has kept Australia's mortality rate low by global standards. It is about 0.4 per cent. All but one of those who have died have been over 70. A significant majority have been over 80. Many had pre-existing health conditions.
Statistics such as these should not be allowed to fuel an unwarranted degree of confidence, however. They highlight the extreme vulnerability of older Australians. Unless people adhere to the social distancing guidelines and stay at home as much as possible, hundreds of thousands of grandads and grandmas, nonnas and poppas, and aunts and uncles are at risk.
The elderly also need to ensure that they do the same.
One bright spot on Thursday was the news the day-on-day increase in cases in NSW was lower than it had been the day before.
While this may be a sign the surge in new cases generated by the return of thousands of travellers from abroad is starting to subside, it is a well known truism that "one swallow doesn't make a summer".
Other good news is that efforts to source more personal protective equipment and additional medical resources are starting to bear fruit. The medical authorities are apparently well on track to double the nation's intensive care capacity in the near future.
While this is a scary time, with the number of global cases expected to reach more than 500,000 people by Friday afternoon Australian time, there is still cause to hope this country will be able to weather the crisis in better shape than many.
Because early efforts to stop the virus from crossing the border were reasonably successful, Australia has the unique opportunity to learn from what is being done overseas.
This nation is not China. It is not Italy. It is not Spain. It is not the UK, and it is not America. There is absolutely no reason Australia has to track the same grim trajectory.
Mr Kelly, singing from the same hymn sheet as the chief medical officer and other leading experts, was very much of the opinion that what happens next is entirely up to the Australian people.
What happens next is up to all of us. The future depends on doing the right thing.
"This is in our hands," he said on Thursday. "Wash your hands and stay at home."
If people don't follow this advice they need to be prepared for much tougher restrictions over the coming days and weeks.
"If things haven't shifted because of the actions we took earlier this week ... we will have to go further," NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, warned on Thursday morning. Her words were quickly echoed by other political leaders across the country.
What happens next is up to all of us. The future depends very much on everybody doing the right thing for the good of all.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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