Australia’s Pandemic Response: The Drawbacks Behind the Veneer of Perfection

With a population of 25 million, Australia has had just over 30,000 Covid-19 cases, resulting in less than 1000 deaths. Considering these numbers, the idea that Australia has had a swift and effective approach towards relieving Covid-19 seems to pass muster. When Australia was first exposed to the novel coronavirus in March 2020, the federal government swiftly introduced a national lockdown, closing its international borders and requiring quarantine for Australian citizens returning home. State governments followed suit, confining Australians to their home state. This type of policy was monumental - it was introduced for the first time in over 100 years. All of this combined with effective enforcement of the rules meant that Australia, with its decisive response to Covid-19, had successfully contained the virus. Consequently, the nationwide lockdown began easing around mid-May, rather early by international standards. 

Although the majority of Australian state governments deserve plaudits for their efforts, one state made a fatal mistake: Victoria. Until June 2020, hotel quarantine had been flawless. Cases were restricted and deaths were rare. This, however, was quickly turned on its head when a case originating at a hotel in Victoria led to the country’s biggest outbreak to date. Despite this, Covid-19’s spread eventually stalled in late September of that same year, and “normal” life resumed again. Unfortunately, this success was short-lived. In early February of 2021, Australia entered a sudden five-day lockdown due to a mistake within the hotel quarantine system which many feared would prompt a new wave of Covid cases. Nonetheless, in spite of these sporadic Covid scares, Australia has not had any major issues since and lockdown measures have, for the most part, been lifted, engendering a sense of normalcy that has been lacking across the world since the introduction of Covid-19. 

While, objectively, Australia has been successful in dealing with the pandemic, their handling of the situation has not been without its criticism. Australia has sealed off its borders almost entirely, only allowing Australian residents with citizenship to enter. This has hampered tourism and commercial revenues, simultaneously leaving both students and valuable workers stranded outside the country.

Another notable criticism of the Australian government in their handling of the virus has been the glaring disconnect that has emerged at times between the federal and state levels. The federal government took early and decisive action with their restrictive lockdown; though many states were able to execute it properly, the mistakes made in the implementation of the mandate by state governments like Victoria demonstrated a lack of harmony between the two layers of government in Australia. 

Moreover, the pandemic period has been marked by an increase in mental health issues and domestic violence. Relatedly, a massive strain was placed upon the economy, thereby driving many small businesses into bankruptcy. The national lockdown has imposed major repercussions on the life of thousands of people in Australia, even making it difficult for some families to put food on the table.

Inevitably, the government has been forced to intervene, providing economic stimulus to those who had lost their jobs. The implication, of course, was a marked decrease in government spending in other sectors and a hike in taxation, further burdening Australian citizens.

All in all, Australia’s highly regarded response to the pandemic has not been without its flaws. While the spread of the virus has been largely curbed due to the introduction of vaccines, the helpless situation many families now find themselves in will certainly pose a formidable challenge for the government. The response to Covid has been mixed – effective but marred by inconsistency, inconvenience and carelessness. As we begin to recover from the virus, one hopes that lessons have been learned and deficiencies have been identified. Outside of that, we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds. 

Note: All figures provided are at the time of writing