Fighting Covid: Industry bats for a multi-pronged approach
May 05, 2021
Suggests strategies to meet the cost of vaccination, speed up the process
As the country steps up efforts to battle the second wave of Covid-19, industry associations suggest a multi-pronged strategy to reduce the impact of the virus as well as save the already battered economy from further crisis.
Daily new infections remain at three lakh-plus levels and more than 3,000 people are succumbing to the virus every day. So, vaccination is seen as the way forward.
As the government opened the vaccination window for people in the age group of 18-44, the number of people being administered vaccine doses is on the rise.
âIf there were 10,000 Australians with white skin would they have done the same thing? Noâ
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Furious community leaders have accused the federal government of imposing âracistâ jail terms on Australians who return from India amid a wider row over the secrecy involved in the emergency controls on citizen rights.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also facing growing unrest among government MPs who want the sanctions eased as soon as possible out of concern that the âextremeâ measures impose great hardship on the community.
Jail Time for Arrivals From India Part of BioSecurity Act: Chief Medical Officer
Australia’s top medical officer has revealed he did not advise the government to threaten Australians trying to dodge the Indian travel ban with jail.
The Morrison government has copped strident criticism from doctors, human rights groups and the Indian-Australian community over the punitive measures.
Massive fines or up to five years behind bars are in place for people who find a way around a temporary pause on travellers from India due to COVID-19.
While senior government ministers have pointed to health advice as to the basis of the decision, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the powers already existed.
David Crowe and Rachel Clun09:54, May 04 2021
Furious community leaders have accused the Australian Government of imposing “racist” jail terms on Australians who return from India amid a wider row over the secrecy involved in the emergency controls on citizen rights. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is also facing growing unrest among MPs who want the sanctions eased as soon as possible out of concern that the “extreme” measures impose great hardship on the community. Indian leaders said they were “blindsided” by the Government announcement at midnight on Friday night when they had been in meetings with federal ministers earlier that day and heard no suggestion of the coming move.
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On Saturday morning, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced a temporary pause on travellers who have visited India within 14 days of their intended arrival date in Australia.
The penalty for failing to comply with the emergency determination under the Biosecurity Act, coming into effect at 12.01am Monday, could attract a $66,600 fine or a five-year jail term.
No such measure has been applied by the government to any other international COVID-19 hotspot so far.
Australian citizen Mandeep Sharma is currently stuck in the Indian city of Kapurthala. He left Australia on 2 April to bury his father.
Mr Sharma had his return flight to Australia scheduled for 7 May cancelled after a ban on flights from India was announced earlier in the week, and says the additional criminalisation measures are insulting.