Australia’s response to the coronavirus has had many twists and turns and a high degree of difficulty. But to get full points from the judges, we now need to stick the landing.
How successful we are in reopening and reactivating – and doing so safely – will be critical to how Australia’s economy recovers over the coming months.
The locked-down jurisdictions have provided some very welcome clarity on how they intend to transition their approach to managing the virus within the community.
The Property Council has welcomed the Victorian Government’s phased roadmap as a sensible and balanced plan for the reopening of the state as vaccination rates increase. The NSW Government released a similar ‘Roadmap to Freedom’ earlier in the month. Likewise, the ACT Government has committed to keep their policies consistent with the key national vaccination targets.
Many challenges will be faced by businesses, government and the wider community during this impending period of transition. Our industry will have to come to grips with a shifting regulatory space that creates separate rules for the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.
Australia’s staged reopening represents a big shift in the public attitude towards the virus. COVID-19 will transition from unwelcome visitor to unwanted flatmate. We don’t have to like it, but we will have to live with it.
The clear message to all Australians, regardless of their current restrictions, will continue to be that vaccination is the surest means to ensure our move through the stages of national recovery are as quick and painless as possible.
Whatever the challenges of this ‘delta dismount’ period, we know it’s going to land us in a better place.