Two sisters have issued a passionate plea to the government to slow the spread of coronavirus before winter hits the southern hemisphere – begging them to put Australia into lockdown before it’s too late.
Giovanna Gentile-Avati, 35, and her sister Veronika Paige Gentile Tahir, 30, from Melbourne, said there must be a ‘number of acceptable deaths’ before the government puts the country into lockdown.
Other countries including Italy, Spain and Ireland have already gone into lockdown.
‘What’s the number? That’s what I’d like to know,’ Veronika and Giovanna told FEMAIL.
Two sisters have issued a passionate plea to the government to slow the spread of coronavirus before winter hits the southern hemisphere – begging them to put Australia into lockdown before it’s too late (Veronika and Giovanna pictured)
‘What is the number of acceptable deaths to the government before we are put on lockdown? I know this is extremely difficult. I know there are a lot of considerations.
‘And I know the government is facing unprecedented issues. But there is a number, and I’d like to know what it is.’
They highlighted that COVID-19 can live on surfaces for 28 days, which means it’s very difficult for businesses to operate as normal while being careful around hygiene.
‘Why won’t a lockdown of two months do the trick?’ Veronika asked.
‘Shut down non-essential shopping centres, clothes shops, pokies, beauty parlours, casinos – everything except supermarkets and food stores offering takeaway and delivery.’
Veronika (pictured with her partner) said she was prompted to write the open letter because she has seen countries like Italy and how much they are struggling
The sisters said while a lockdown sounds drastic, it could help to prevent the spread of something far worse.
‘Hold utilities, mortgages, rent Foxtel, NBN etc for two months so those individuals who can’t work can just focus on grocery bills,’ they said.
‘We all need to band together. Stop the building industry. All non-essential business must come to a halt.
‘We will ease contact and ease the spread of this disease.’
While social distancing has been employed around Australia, Veronika and Giovanna said it’s ‘simply not working’.
‘There needs to be a lockdown,’ they said.
‘If businesses don’t have the pressures of rent and utilities, will they go bust in no months? We’re no experts, but my family have had businesses and restaurants and there are some months when only a handful of customers who walked through the door anyway, and if they didn’t have to worry about paying rent and re-stock, it’s feasible. It’s short term.’
They said that employees can go home and focus on looking after and feeding their families, while schools can provide online learning with the teachers being ‘readily available’ to help via email or Skype.
‘It’s just a matter of time. We could possibly alleviate this spread. Stop it before the winter months could make it worse… Do everything possible to reduce this spread,’ Veronika (pictured) said
‘This is unprecedented, but there is a number,’ the sisters said.
‘It’s just a matter of time. We could possibly alleviate this spread. Stop it before the winter months could make it worse… Do everything possible to reduce this spread.
‘You know you have a number. What is it? Does anyone have the balls to ask? “What’s the number?”‘
Speaking to FEMAIL, Veronika said she was prompted to write the open letter because she feels helpless:
‘Seeing how other countries, Italy especially, has become so bad, has affected me a lot,’ she said.
‘We are able to stop it in its tracks, or attempt it at the very least. People say people will lose their jobs in a lockdown, but they already are.
‘If we banded together, things would get better and work and life would go back to normal sooner.’