The first independent review of how Australia handled COVID-19 found that border closures and lockdowns were avoidable, schools should have remained open and that Australia needs an independent Australian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Former senior public servant Peter Shergold released ‘Fault lines: An independent review into Australia’s response to COVID-19’, the report of the independent revew panel appointed in April to review the impact of COVID-19 measures. The report was not government-commissioned but, rather, funded by philanthropic groups including the Paul Ramsay, Minderoo and the John and Myriam Wylie Foundations.
Chair Peter Shergold said:
"We found that regional and rural areas were some of the most vulnerable. We saw for example access to the digital world for work and schooling was much less available. We found there were problems getting supplies of food or vaccines or RAT tests (sic) in regional areas and of course we found that Aboriginal communities were particularly hard hit."
The report found there was insufficient transparency around decision making, and policies were “designed and implemented without proper regard for the inequalities that already existed in our society and the vulnerabilities of particular communities”.
The report read that for some:
“... COVID-19 will be a story of trauma, isolation, and terrifying uncertainty. It will be a story of being locked in overcrowded housing, job loss and missing out on government supports. It will be a story of more domestic violence, increased alcohol abuse, deteriorating mental and physical health. It will be a story of loss and the brutal realisation of not being able to say final goodbyes to loved ones.”
Review panel chair Peter Shergold AC said Australians should be proud of how they came together and their relative success in responding to COVID-19. Professor Shergold said:
“While it may feel like the pandemic is almost in the rear-view mirror, it’s imperative that we heed these lessons and take action to ensure we’re better prepared for whatever the next health crisis is – because we know there will be another one.”
The review found that Australia could have done more to ensure economic support packages were provided fairly and equitably, singling out the exclusion of short-term casual and temporary migrant workers from JobKeeper and the “fiscally irresponsible” failure to claw back support payments from companies whose revenues and profits remained high.
School closures may have been the right decision when the virus was little understood, but the report read:
“it was wrong to close entire school systems, particularly once new information indicated that schools were not high-transmission environments.
“For children and parents (particularly women), we failed to get the balance right between protecting health and imposing long-term costs on education, mental health, the economy and workforce outcomes.
Businesspeople were often allowed to travel across borders whilst those wanting to visit dying loved ones or newborn family members were not afforded a similar opportunity. The report said this example of overreach undermined public trust and confidence in the institutions that are vital to effective crisis response.
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