The Return of Lockdowns?

The Associated Press reports major demonstrations against a renewal of lockdowns in Australia:

SYDNEY (AP) — Thousands of people took to the streets of Sydney and other Australian cities on Saturday to protest lockdown restrictions amid another surge in cases, and police made several arrests after crowds broke through barriers and threw plastic bottles and plants.

The unmasked participants marched from Sydney’s Victoria Park to Town Hall in the central business district, carrying signs calling for “freedom” and “the truth.”

There was a heavy police presence in Sydney, including mounted police and riot officers in response to what authorities said was unauthorized protest activity. Police confirmed a number of arrests had been made after objects were thrown at officers.

New South Wales Police said it recognized and supported the rights of free speech and peaceful assembly, but the protest was a breach of public health orders.

Like those here the Australian authorities blame the protests on Rupert Murdoch but I suspect it’s a bit more complicated than that.

Consider this. You’ve prevented a major outbreak of COVID-19 through stringent lockdowns. Now what? At risk of stating the obvious new cases of COVID-19 will be most common where the fewest people have been vaccinated against the disease. The vaccination rate in both Australia and New Zealand is below 20% of the population compared with 50% here. The price of success of the lockdowns in preventing spread of the disease? Pretty obviously they’re getting pushback on reinstating the lockdowns and vaccination hasn’t been that big a priority for them.

4 comments… add one
  • Drew Link

    I’ve lost track. Has the two weeks to flatten the curve ended yet?

  • steve Link

    I’ve lost track. How many conservatives dont realize the death rate for hospitalized pts is now half of what it was last March?

    Steve

  • bob sykes Link

    It is important to remember that lockdowns (and masks) were sold as slowing the rate of spread of covid, so that our hospitals and medical personnel would not be overwhelmed. The initial presentations by the CDC and other health agencies were very clear on that point. I think lockdowns did reduce the rate of spread, which, of course, means the overall pandemic was long-lasting.

    However, lockdowns were never sold as preventing so much as one death or case, and they didn’t. Total cases depends on the number of people originally susceptible to covid, and that is independent of lockdowns. Vaccinations reduce the number of susceptibles.

    Our leaders, even the medical professionals, have forgotten all that. It is our leaders and medical professionals who have panicked. If they go crazy over the delta variant, which is reportedly much milder than original covid, they will complete the wreckage of the world economy.

    PS. Reducing the rate of spread of the disease to reduce the load on the medical establishment was a legitimate and reasonable policy. But it is of necessity a temporary policy.

  • In Illinois the last time the death rate due to COVID-19 was this low was in April 2020.

    Meanwhile 20% of all deaths from COVID-19 are in Indonesia and I don’t believe the reported case rates and death rates from most of the countries in the world. I think major social upheavals are likely to happen in a lot of places.

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