On this episode of CN Live! we examined in detail one of the few success stories in the coronavirus pandemic, asking how Australia has been able to escape the worst of the crisis.
Plenty of people in Europe and the United States are wondering why Australia has so far been able to escape the same devastation of the Coronavirus pandemic that they have experienced. While the U.S. moves towards 2 million infections and has surpassed 105,000 dead, Australia has had only 7,221 cases, resulting in just 103 deaths. It hasn’t necessarily come easily to Australia, and the pandemic has seriously undermined relations with its biggest trading partner, China.
On Season 2, Episode 10 we discussed the many ramifications of the Pandemic Down Under with Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, an epidemiologist, pulmonologist and politician, who served in the New South Wales parliament; Tony Kevin, a former Australian ambassador to Cambodia and Poland; and Oscar Grenfell, member of Australia’s Socialist Equality Party’s national committee and a former candidate for the House of Representatives. Produced by Cathy Vogan, you can watch the replay here with your hosts Elizabeth Vos and Joe Lauria:
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funny to see the actions of a right wing govt. seen in a good light by CN. but good to call it how it is sometimes.
I truly enjoyed watching and listening to this most informative episode. The situation with respect to the US Marine “exercise” in Darwin was very interesting and I appreciated all of the views expressed. I watched/listened to the whole thing….and it was time well spent.
It seems a contrast to me that the Australian COVID response has focused primarily on preventing transmission and I’m sure it must have relied upon a well thought out testing program for the virus, followed by data analysis. That is what has been lacking elsewhere, because there just were not enough test kits I suppose. Even so, I don’t think the virus can be prevented from eventually spreading to the whole population, but I also think that ultimately it will be “just another common cold”. It is new now and there are sensitive populations that need to be protected and this is evident, but as always there must be a balance in responding to uncertainty. Plus, consider this: We still don’t have a vaccine for the common cold and I suspect there would be money in that, so I’m guessing a vaccine is not really a high probability. Anyhow, all of that is just my opinion, and I’m not trying to start an argument.
Regardless, the virus has if nothing else served a purpose of increasing awareness, and in the end, this might be what is remembered.
I hope for nothing but the best for Australia!
“pandemic has seriously undermined relations with its biggest trading partner, China. ”
No, the stupid behaviour of the Australian Prime Minister, needlessly following the Trumpists and blaming China, its main trading partner, for the pandemic, is the reason. Mining exports from Australia and Chinese students enrolling in Australian universities (full fee-paying) have been the main providers for years of benefits to the Australian economy, and are now being tossed aside by the cowering compliance of ScoMo to the Trump lies.
New Zealand, across the Tasman Sea from Australia, has a similar record. To date, our confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases total 1504. Total deaths: 22. There is currently 1 active case. We are in our 12th consecutive day with no new cases. In comparison with Australia, these figures correspond roughly with the population ratio: 4.8/25.5 million (just under 1/5).
It isn’t so bad here in Russia. I’m glad to hear the same about Australia
I can’t help but feel jealous of most of the rest of the world where things are pretty normal, as opposed to the horror show here in the U.S. Does anybody know if this is correct, the Bing Covid tracker today showing a horrific spike in cases and deaths? If you expand the US stats to their graph, it’s showing 8K+ deaths just yesterday? with over 66K cases? hXXps://www.bing.com/covid/local/unitedstates
Thank you for your important work giving us important and reliable information. With the repeal of Smith-Mandy in 2013 legalizing NATO propaganda targeted to domestic audiences, CN is my go-to place to verify the truthfulness or lack thereof of the excrement that passes for news on MSM.