That’s a “Hard No” to the Rest of the World
The “Let It Rip” policy is irresponsible and reckless
While the rest of the world experiments with trying to live with COVID, life in Western Australia remains a (mostly) COVID-free bubble. We’ve gone through the occasional lockdown and the odd spot of mask-wearing here and there. Our lockdowns are usually based on a single case as WA Premier, Mark McGowan, holds fast to the goal of living COVID-free.
As the rest of the world counts fatalities in hundreds of thousands, we can still count the number of COVID-related deaths in WA on two hands. Our strongest protection is our hard border — not only are international travelers locked out of WA, the lockout includes the rest of Australia.
The lockout means freedom within our state. During 90% of this pandemic, we’ve lived as usual. Our economy is booming, unemployment is low, our health care system granted additional time to prepare.
Our COVID freedom was due to end on February 5th. At 90% vaccination for ages 12+, WA would open our arms and welcome Australia’s east coast and international arrivals. We knew they would come bearing an unwanted gift — bringing COVID into our state.
As a state, we prepared our emergency systems, readying our hospitals. Measures were in place for large events. Details of how proof of vaccination would work were announced, and the Service WA app went live. As individuals, the State Government encouraged us to ensure we had the supplies we would need to manage COVID at home.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, the Premiers and First Ministers opened their borders. And in waltzed Omicron. The east coast abandoned their check-in apps and tossed their masks away based on Delta modeling. It was time to live with COVID.
But Omicron is a different beast to Delta. Cases jumped into the thousands. Hospitals bulged at the seams, and people died.
In dealing with Omicron, we are, we are determined to ensure that we do stare it down and we don’t go back. We have to face it down. We have to live with this virus. We cannot allow us to take it back, take us back. And that’s certainly what we’re determined to do. — Scott Morrison, Australian Prime Minister
Omicron wreaked havoc on supply chains, which affected the entire country. With the vaccine rollout for children aged 5–11 starting on January 10th, some states choose to delay the start of the school year. Surgery, with the expectation of life-saving intervention, has been canceled. There is no guarantee if you call an ambulance that one will arrive. Queues for PCR testing have massive wait times. RAT’s are near impossible to find.
The Opposition Leader, Anthony Albanese accused Scott Morrison, the Australian Prime Minister of having a “Let It Rip” policy.
“The ‘let it rip’ approach is creating major issues in our health system, with people under such enormous pressure.” — Anthony Albanese
In WA, our border opening loomed like a ticking time bomb. People started to mutter. Is that what living with COVID is like? Do we want that?
For some, the answer is yes. They want to travel. They believe because they are young or healthy, “they’ll be right, mate.” They have businesses impacted or families they wish to see. Some object to the hard border on principle — it’s their right to do whatever they feel like without government interference.
They don’t care about the elderly — until their grandparents are denied a ventilator.
They don’t care about those with underlying health conditions — until they find out they have a previously undiagnosed heart murmur.
There are others with feet in both camps — like my family. My husband is a travel agent; his career and income depend on travel. My son lives in NSW, surrounded by COVID. I haven’t seen him for two and a half years. I don’t know when I will see him again. If I will see him again.
But as a lung transplant recipient, I am also at the highest risk of dying from COVID. And it turns out that the medications that keep these wonderful lungs from rejecting don’t play nicely with the vaccine. At best, my protection would land somewhere between 10–30%. But my serology shows after three primary vaccinations, my antibody count is zero.
I am a sitting duck once COVID arrives unfettered.
On the 20th of January, Mark McGowan made an important announcement. The hard border with the rest of Australia and the world will come down when our third vaccination rate is higher.
February 5th transformed from all systems go into a hard no.
“We know the ‘let it rip’ strategy with low third dose vaccine levels doesn’t work. The proof is on our television screens every evening.”
“The border will be what we’re calling a new hard border with a different category of exemptions and so it’s still pretty tough and you can’t just come in on holidays and you can’t just fly in willy-nilly.” — Mark McGowan, WA Premier
This is a move to protect the economy, the hospital system, and the supply chain. To ensure that schools experience minimal interruption.
More importantly, this is a decision about lives and their value. It’s an opportunity to make sure children have the chance to be vaccinated. That the WA people have a high third dose vaccination rate. More importantly, the elderly and those with ‘underlying health conditions’ are not faceless.
We matter.
Sandi Parsons is an award-winning school librarian with over 20 years experience working in educational libraries. Sandi was a Children’s Book Council of Australia, Book of the Year Award Judge (2020, 2021 Early Childhood Category). She enjoys living in a COVID-free bubble with her favorite husband and two problem puppies.
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