Pictured: Business expert Peter Switzer
As millions of Australians remain under strict stay-at-home orders a financial entrepreneur and commentator has offered six ‘sensible’ suggestions to end lockdowns forever.
On Tuesday, Victoria extended their lockdown, South Australia joined them by announcing their own, and in NSW authorities have hinted at keeping restrictions in place for weeks longer.
Peter Switzer, a well known broadcaster and author, said business groups had lost patience with state premiers and their constant calls for snap lockdowns.
He said agencies such as the Australian Industry Group believe state leaders and politicians were taking lockdowns too far in order to keep their jobs.
As millions of Australians this week remain under strict stay-at-home orders a business leader has offered six ‘sensible’ suggestions to end lockdowns forever
Mr Switzer added that tough measures employed by the federal government were forcing businesses into bankruptcy, causing workers to lose their jobs and ‘contaminating the economy’.
The business leader offered six ‘sensible’ solutions to end ‘this lockdown madness’, calling for a ‘Lockdown 3.0’ with an aggressive approach to restrictions.
Firstly, Mr Switzer said ‘everything’ should open up, with people mandated to wear a mask every time they’re outside the home or car.
Second, social distancing would be ‘fiercely policed’. Third, fines for breaking the rules would be increased to $2,000 and doubled every time the same person slips up.
Fourth, state premiers ‘read the riot act and tell everyone that if you’re selfish or do foolish things, we’ll punish you’.
Fifth, no foreigners allowed to enter the country unless they’re fully vaccinated, and finally only people with medical conditions would able to refuse the jab.
‘This virus isn’t only infecting bodies, it’s contaminating an economy and our way of life, which has the shocking effect of a rise in suicide rates,’ he wrote.
‘If too many in the population are acting like immature brats, then our leaders have to be like mature parents.’
The finance commentator said he would personally welcome a ‘tougher, meaner Australia’ until enough vaccines arrive in the country.
A well known finance commentator has he would personally welcome a ‘tougher, meaner Australia’ until enough vaccines arrive in the country (pictured, a pedestrian on George Street in Sydney’s CBD)
NSW had 110 cases overnight with 43 infectious in the community, and 13 of the infections yet to be linked to known cases (pictured, NSW health officials stop passengers arriving from Melbourne)
While Australia has plentiful supplies of AstraZeneca, just 14.1 per cent of Australians over 16 were fully vaccinated against Covid, as of July 19, despite the Indian Delta strain being more contagious, Department of Health data showed.
Little more than a third or 35.7 per cent of Australians have received one dose, well below the herd immunity level of 80 per cent or the 70 per cent figure Scott Morrison is advocating for to avoid more lockdowns.
An Essential Media poll found that 41 per cent of those delaying their first vaccine shot were waiting for more Pfizer doses to be readily available from September.
The poll found that of those 600 people delaying their vaccine, 41 per cent were waiting for Pfizer with almost half or 47 per cent in the 18 to 34 age group also waiting for that specific vaccine.
Meanwhile 29 per cent wanted to wait to see how other people reacted to the jab.
Ms Berejiklian refused to rule out introducing even tougher restrictions in Greater Sydney if the highly-contagious Delta variant continues to spread through the city (pictured, an office worker walks in a deserted food square in Sydney’s CBD)
On Wednesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the lockdown would be unlikely to end on July 30 until cases of people being infectious in the community was ‘zero or close to zero.’
The state had 110 cases overnight with 43 infectious in the community, and 13 of the infections yet to be linked to known cases.
There are now 106 patients in NSW hospitals suffering from Covid-19. Twenty-three are in intensive care (down four from Tuesday) and 11 of them (same as Tuesday) requiring ventilation.
NSW recorded its highest testing rate to date from the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday night at 83,477 tests.
South Australia has recorded six new cases of Covid-19 as the state-wide lockdown continues (pictured, a testing clinic in the Victoria Park in Adelaide on Tuesday)
Ms Berejiklian refused to rule out introducing even tougher restrictions in Greater Sydney if the highly-contagious Delta variant continues to spread through the city.
She said it would be impossible to plan a path out of lockdown until the case numbers started to fall and admitted if there isn’t a consistent fall by the weekend, she would have to introduce even tougher restrictions.
Victoria earlier on Wednesday announced the state had detected another 22 local cases of Covid-19 as the state enters its first day of an extended seven-day lockdown to stem the spread of its latest Covid outbreak.
The state’s Department of Health said the new community cases – detected from 59,355 tests conducted on Tuesday – are all linked to known outbreaks.
Wednesday’s 22 new locally-acquired cases is the highest daily increase in Victoria since September during the state’s deadly second wave of Covid-19 infections.