Bartos: Australia and the Rhythm of the Covid-19 Epidemic

Special Issue: Pandemic Asia. 2020 July.
The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus Volume 18 | Issue 14 | Number 4 | Article ID 5421 | Jul 11, 2020
Mit freundlicher Erlaubnis von Japan Focus.


Australia and the Rhythm of the Covid-19 Epidemic

Michael Bartos

Abstract:
Reeling from a devastating bushfire 
season, Australia was slow to respond to the Covid-19 threat, but when modelling in mid-March showed the same pattern of growth that had overwhelmed European health systems, a closely knit network of public health experts gained the ear of government and rapid national action was taken closing workplaces and imposing stay at home orders. With investments in localized testing, contact tracing and sequencing to track the genomic fingerprint of cases, by the end of April new cases had been brought to near zero. Australia’s successful containment efforts have paralleled those of regional neighbours such as China, South Korea, Vietnam and Japan, in stark contrast to the uncontained spread in the United States, Australia’s traditional ally. The Australian government has tried to navigate these geopolitical tensions by moderating the Trump administration’s attempts to turn the pandemic into a political battlefield. Renewed outbreaks in Australia at the end of June suggest SARS-CoV-2 will not be totally eliminated in Australia, but continuing control efforts will bring it to ‘virtual elimination’.

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