IN global terms, any number of coronavirus-stricken countries would love to be where Australia is now, despite the lockdowns in Brisbane, Logan, Moreton, Redlands and Ipswich after a quarantine worker tested positive to the new, highly contagious UK strain of COVID-19.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Queensland officials are concerned the worker at Brisbane's Grand Chancellor Hotel may have infected others in the days before she was tested. To those impacted by the new lockdowns, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says three days - until 6pm Monday - are "better than 30".
Which is absolutely true. COVID has kept more people home this summer holiday season than anyone could have imagined - even as news of events in Wuhan began to emerge a year ago - but there are still enough people on the move for health authorities to fear the UK strain may be irreversibly seeded in Australia.
Officially, however, the case numbers triggering the latest concerns are still in single digits.
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
The hard lockdowns in Queensland - and the corresponding exclusions by other states and territories - are aimed at getting the nation through to Australia Day, which signals the wind-down of the holiday season.
Already, a good number of high-profile summer attractions - the 29th annual Parkes Elvis Festival, timed to coincide with The King's January 8 birthday, yesterday - have been forced to cancel.
Other big sporting events - Test cricket, A-League games including last night's frustrating Newcastle Jets loss - have gone ahead with limited, mask-wearing, socially distanced crowds.
Australia's restrictions are in stark contrast to what we see happening elsewhere, the obvious example being the United States, where almost unimaginably large crowds have been gathered cheek by protesting jowl in the national capital.
Such behaviour means it's no surprise that COVID continues to accelerate, with vaccine programs still too few, and too early, to make a noticeable impact.
Thursday marked a new daily record of more than 856,000 infections (ignoring a single-day reporting-adjustment anomaly of 1.49 million on October 12).
Global deaths hit a new daily record on Tuesday of 15,450.
Coronavirus has certainly flattened Australia's summer fun, but we should remember there are lots of places where fun is the farthest thing from people's minds.
ISSUE: 39,510
For faster access to the latest Newcastle news download our NEWCASTLE HERALD APP and sign up for breaking news, sport and what's on sent directly to your email.
IN THE NEWS:
Ian Kirkwood
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
