Cassy O’Connor MP | Greens Leader
Tasmania hit a terrible milestone overnight – 100 deaths from Covid-19.
This is a profoundly tragic statistic, but it’s 100 lives cut short and 100 Tasmanian families grieving.
We hope the very real human toll won’t be ignored by Premier Rockliff, who came to the top job promising to lead a government with heart.
We hope the Director of Public Health and his team see the light and advise for a reset to prevent mass infection and save lives.
We implore the Premier and Dr Veitch to change course on Covid. Waves of rolling mass infection, disability and death are untenable.
Now is the time to mitigate mass infection, and prevent further deaths. There are a range of simple, common-sense strategies like masks, ventilation and air filtration that the Premier and Dr Veitch should be using, and promoting publicly to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Now is the time for government to invest in evidence-based messaging about mask wearing and cleaning the air we breathe indoors. Now is the time to support businesses to upgrade ventilation and air filtration systems so Tasmanians can work and enjoy the indoors without risking their health.
After 100 deaths and nearly 200,000 Covid cases, the Premier must be open and transparent about the deadly seriousness of the BA.5 subvariant.
He should be clearly explaining what Tasmanians need to do to protect themselves and others – particularly the vulnerable in the community, many of whom are living in fear.
Today’s sobering statistic should serve as a reality check. This government must do better – the lives and long term health of Tasmanians are at stake.