RAPID ANTIGEN COVID TEST
WHY have two positive COVID carriers been allowed into Tasmania, via Launceston Airport, when, easily and cheaply and with minimal disruption, they could have been tested at their departure points, Sydney in August, Melbourne Friday, and sent packing after returning positive results to rapid antigen tests after waiting 15 minutes for completion of the procedure?
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It's a disgrace and reveals the incomplete half-heartedness of the Tasmanian government's system that RAT has not been done for all prospective entrants to this COVID-free state.
Anyone heading here could, can, and I feel sure will undergo a quick RAT once over before boarding their flights. Don't blame the Therapeutic Goods Administration for not approving the tests which will be available to all householders in November.
HAVE YOUR SAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
In Sydney, where I am awaiting clearance to return home to Tasmania, Rapid Antigen Tests have been in use for over a year in the construction industry before workers are allowed in the job, and at a private girls' school prior to students going into class.
Noel Christensen, Punchbowl.
TASSIE'S RED MEAT DILEMMA
THE major supermarket chains over the years have convinced us to buy our meat from their large display cases. Taking business away from the local butchers.
We can all admit to going along with it.
Did you know now that the two major supermarket chains are serving up meat that is prepacked in Victoria?
The stores had their own on-site butcher who prepared Tasmanian beef for sale.
These are no longer doing this role.
One can assume that the meat that we see in these major supermarkets originates from that state. From my personal experience, the meat I have been buying is not up to the mark. I explored the local butchers and they are certainly offering very good meat.
Grown here not there. I recommend that you check out your butcher and give them a go. One, in particular, has two shops.
One in Kings Meadows and the other in Exeter is offering top class meat.
The flavour is amazing. You might pay a little bit more, but boy it is certainly worth it. Support our local farmers and butchers, they work really hard to give us the best they can.
Gil Sellars, Launceston.
THE BUSINESS OF LONGEVITY
NORTH Festival is shaping up to be a long-overdue flagship event for Launceston Cityprom. Although it's all for the wine aficionados or food connoisseurs about town, isn't it time they seriously considered the bread and butter retailers?
When will they have their moment in the sun to shine? Overseas and interstate shipping has been severely impacted by COVID and with many new online digital platforms opening up, strip shopping is becoming extremely compromised. Reasons those at the top need to step back and reevaluate a marketing campaign that encourages residents and new tourists to rediscover the total package offered in city shopping. Street flags, buskers and a general spit and polish of the city would contribute significantly.
Bruce Webb, Launceston.
CONTROVERSIAL FILM SHOWING
I WON'T be seeing the film, and I'm not a Tasmanian. The problem with film is that you see the world through the director's eyes. I want to see the world through my own eyes, and not fictional reality.
Roderick Smith, Surrey Hills.
TRUTH, LIES AND THE ABC
THE ABC has been a vital part of our collective history for as long as I can remember.
ABC radio and TV has been an important, unbiased source of quality information about local, national and international events.
These are dangerous times of fake news, falling political accountability and trust, a lack of federal anti-corruption mechanisms, scams and schemes, ideologically driven reporting in some commercial media, lies and misinformation perpetuated by federal MPs, political campaigns where it is still legal to lie, attempts by government to criminalise embarrassing reporting in the public interest and placing cost barriers in the path of students of humanities where strong and critical thinking skills are built.
It is critical to our fragile democracy that we have a strong and well-resourced ABC to provide a trusted source of information, education and community cohesion.
Instead what we have is an ABC under continual funding pressure and lately pressure to be privatized.
Now, more than ever, we need a properly resourced and truth-based media to expose the many deceits and corruption that, if left unchecked by fearless reporting, would soon lead to our democracy becoming ever more hobbled by self-interest.
Will the Morrison government commit to resourcing the ABC to a place where it can properly serve the national interest or will they continually stoke fear, division and a self-serving ignorance in our society.
Stewart Millar, Launceston.
DRUGS CAUTION NEEDED
AS a person who has weathered many storms, I would like to see more caution paid to the prescribing of pharmaceutical drugs.
We are all different, the same medication may not be suitable for all.
When being treated at the Launceston General Hospital emergency department for a knee problem, it was found I had internal bleeding caused by previously prescribed blood thinner medication. Another of the newer blood thinners had the same effect.
How many of us share the same experience? Why are we not given an accurate description of the medication that is prescribed?
