Commentary that Australia's vaccine roll-out is "not a race" has by now been largely discredited, and turned on its head.
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We should all recognise that ensuring our population is fully vaccinated as soon as possible is our best ticket out of this mess.
But Australia's COVID vaccination program has lacked urgency from the start.
Perhaps the somewhat apathetic approach can be traced back to the fact that we weren't facing the scale of devastation being experienced by our international counterparts.
We might have been put on a pedestal at one point for our efforts at "locking down" local outbreaks, but right now we are contending with some of the highest infection rates since the pandemic first reached our shores.
Yesterday NSW recorded another four deaths and 466 new cases of COVID-19 in what Premier Gladys Berejiklian described as the "most concerning day" of the pandemic so far in the state.
In Tasmania, it could be easy to watch on at the events unfolding on the mainland and think - 'at least it's not us'. But the reality is it very much could be. It's not so much a case of if, but when COVID-19 returns to our state. This isn't a statement of fearmongering, but rather a reality we need to be prepared for.
For a state that narrowly avoided its own encounter with the highly contagious Delta strain just a week ago, this is not a time to rest on our laurels. It's also ignorant to think interstate lockdowns are not continuing to have devastating impacts on our local economy - our small businesses and sole traders are not immune.
This week our government came out swinging with its Delta Shield plan, including measures for stronger border controls, a vaccine blitz, strengthened testing, tracking and tracing, and a business support package.
Premier Peter Gutwein has made it clear that as a state we must continue to take a proactive response, and to learn from the challenges faced by NSW, as well as Victoria and Queensland. But will it be enough?
And what should Tasmanians expect if the deadly Delta strain was to breach our fortress tomorrow? As pointed at by the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the government has a contingency plan in place.
But how can the community - particularly the business community - find comfort and be as prepared as possible if they don't know what the plan is?
For a government that's made numerous commitments to improve openness and transparency, is it too much to ask for complete transparency when it comes to the state's preparedness for the worst case scenario?
We know communities are much more likely to adhere to strict lockdowns and public health restrictions when they understand the reasoning behind it, so why risk us being caught off guard?
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