OPEN LETTER un-Australian and coronavirus

Matteo Cornelius Sullivan

OPEN LETTER

Perth, 18/03/2020

Subject: un-Australian and coronavirus

On the declaration of Prime Minister Scott Morrison to reporters in Canberra on 18/03/2020 that hoarding at supermarkets "It's ridiculous, it's un-Australian, and it must stop", I would say that what is un-Australian is to throw Nationalism into matters that the Government is not fast enough in managing, just as when during the bushfire crisis he said that arsonists weren’t Australians. On the contrary, what is un-Australian and very dangerous is trying to turn inefficiencies into nationalism. During Australia's bushfire emergency, From August 2019 to January 2020, 34 people died, up to one billion animals killed, including 8000 koalas, thousands of homes and businesses burned more than 18 million hectares burnt… If Australia's response to the coronavirus will be the same as bushfires or last year's flu, given that mortality in Western Australia was 11.72 times more than in Italy, considering that to date there have been 2503 deaths in Italy for the coronavirus (17/03/2020), there may be approximately 30,000 in Australia (i.e. rounding 2500 x 12); it could be many less or many more but in my opinion what is surely important is that the Australian government must wake up and react immediately! And not wait for the disaster to progress as for the fires of this year. It is necessary to close schools and all public workplaces immediately and make them work using the internet, to test those who travel when they arrive and depart at the airport and at checkpoints on interstate and suburban roads and at railway stations. The use of a mask must be imposed on people, which should be sent by the Government to the home of all citizens as soon as possible, and isolation must be imposed on all, except in special cases. And the Army should prepare for the construction of field hospitals to be installed where the situation may go out of control for hospitals and to provide support for checkpoints and other services. The results of such a prevention could lead to total containment and minimize cases and all this is still possible because we have not yet entered the winter phase but if business minded politicians continue to think about the economy instead of the life of citizens, it is obvious that this invisible enemy will expand exponentially very quickly, exactly as happened in other countries! The economy will collapse anyway but it will adjust itself when the danger has passed. And after the quarantine period for all, it should be enough to continue to test those who enter the country in ports and airports. To win this battle we need politicians to act like lions, not like camels.

Matteo Cornelius Sullivan