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• Australia lockdown rules free#

However, Australia’s most recent period of lockdown provides some particularly poignant examples of the costs of lockdown restrictions.įor instance, it is illegal to travel into locked-down regions under any circumstances, even to attend a funeral. In Australia, due to extremely strict travel restrictions, many people have been unable to reunite with loved ones abroad for the duration of the pandemic. At this point, it should go without saying that stay-at-home orders, particularly over any prolonged period of time, carry disastrous economic and social costs which can far outweigh the benefits. The recent surge in protests is understandable in the context of the severity of Australia’s lockdown restrictions.

Australia lockdown rules free#

When governments remove the right to protest against their policies, it creates a dangerous lack of accountability on top of the obvious infringements on what should be considered a fundamental human right in any free society.ĭraconian lockdown restrictions inflict a massive economic and social cost The authorities are also undermining social trust by appealing to members of the public to report friends and family for breaches of lockdown regulations. Many attempted protests have been quashed by the authorities, who have made extensive use of pepper spray.īy criminalizing peaceful protest and compelling the authorities to intervene, the current government policy is increasing the risk of violent altercations and even the risk of spreading the virus amid the ensuing chaos. The organizer was subsequently sentenced to three months in prison. Last week, in Sydney, numerous protesters were arrested as they attempted to assemble and march to a park.

Sadly, rather than upholding the right to protest, a crucial component of a free society, the authorities’ response has been one of further escalating repression. In Sydney, individuals now face on-the-spot fines of up to $3,700 (A$5,000) for not complying with stay-at-home orders, up from A$1,000 previously.Īs such, despite an effective ban on protests, an increasing number of Australians have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to draconian lockdown restrictions. While restrictions on public gatherings vary between states, much of Australia’s population has seen its freedom of assembly suspended for as long as their government sees it necessary. In spite of these efforts and despite being largely cut off from the rest of the world, the infection rate has risen across Australia over the past two months.įreedom of expression must not become a casualty of the pandemic However, a year of authoritarian policies such as stay-at-home orders, the closure of workplaces, and the prohibition of most leisure activities have not only failed to reduce the infection rate but have also taken their toll on the continued cooperation of a weary population. Throughout the pandemic, Australia’s government has chosen the path of increasingly severe restrictions to combat COVID-19.

Other states have fewer cases.In Australia, government policy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has consisted of keeping borders closed and implementing snap lockdowns any time new cases emerge. New South Wales, home to Sydney, became the first Australian state to top 3,000 COVID-19 daily infections, while neighbouring Victoria logged 1,245 cases. The number of people in hospitals has been creeping up, but remains far lower than during the Delta wave.Īround 4,600 cases were reported in Australia on Tuesday, exceeding the previous high of some 4,100 over the weekend. But most of the country has been reopening over the last few weeks after higher inoculations despite the threat from the Omicron variant.Īuthorities are now aiming to ramp up the rollout of booster shots with Morrison urging states to reopen hundreds of immunisation hubs shut down after demand slowed when double-dose rates in people above 16 years topped 80%.ĭespite the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said "only a fraction" of those cases were ending up in hospitals. Swift lockdowns and strict social distancing rules have helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low at around 260,000 total cases and 2,154 deaths.