Thanks to a concerted community effort, Australia has made tremendous progress in its fight against the coronavirus.
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Who would have thought just two weeks ago that the rate of daily increase in new cases would drop from more than 20 per cent to less than 2 per cent in such a short time?
That speaks volumes about this nation's social cohesion, and the strength of our institutions. The fact we are an island with the world's largest moat hasn't hurt either.
On Easter Sunday the increase in new cases hovered just over 1.5 per cent. The national rate of community transmission is reportedly well under 10 per cent.
The famous curve, which was rising exponentially just two weeks ago, has flattened to become one of the lowest in the world.
Progress should not be confused with victory. Nothing would be worse than taking our foot off the brake too soon.
Most states and territories appear to have got through Easter without any major outbreaks of public disobedience; a credit to the self-discipline and sense of responsibility of most people.
Australia's "national cabinet" has enabled federal, state and territory governments to pull together despite the inherent limitations of Federation.
The nation has also witnessed an almost unprecedented degree of political consensus. This made it possible to put the key planks of the support package into place in record time.
Australia's support package, which encompasses "JobSeeker" and "JobKeeper" programs, along with billions of dollars of support for commerce and industry, compares favourably with anything across the western world.
While it will have to be tweaked as stress testing identifies flaws and oversights, it would be wrong to criticise the authorities for that.
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The biggest threat the nation faces right now is the product of this record of success. Pressure is already mounting to have the existing restrictions lifted sooner rather than later. Why? Because the crisis seems to be under control.
As Professor Brendan Murphy, the chief medical officer, reiterated as recently as Monday, to give in to such calls would be foolish in the extreme.
Progress should not be confused with victory. Nothing would be worse than taking our foot off the brake too soon.
The Easter outbreak in Burnie, Tasmania, which has infected at least 43 people, led to two hospitals being closed for two weeks, and resulted in Australia's first "level four" restrictions, shows just how dangerous this disease can be.
The same is true of the Qantas outbreak in Adelaide. The Ruby Princess debacle speaks for itself.
Australia has achieved much; so much in fact everything possible must be done to avoid throwing that progress away.
It is the experts, such as Professor Murphy and his team, who have got the country this far. People need to keep following their advice.
It also important to ensure the measures that are put in place are sustainable and supported by the public.
While some states almost appear to celebrate the number of fines they are handing out for breaches of social distancing laws, the ACT's more low-key approach is delivering results just as good, if not better.
Given this situation will last for some time, other jurisdictions would do well to consider the Canberra approach.
The more heavy-handed the enforcement of social distancing laws, the louder the calls for them to be wound back prematurely will be.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the 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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