Brisbane lockdown ‘overkill’ triggered by premiers lacking trust in tracing systems

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell says a tendency to impose snap lockdowns by state premiers is motivated by a lack of confidence in their state’s contact tracing mechanisms. Greater Brisbane will emerge from its snap three-day lockdown at midday today after the state recorded just one new community acquired case which health authorities have linked to one of the known clusters. Mr Clennell said "privately in the federal government there was a view there shouldn’t have been this lockdown”. “Certainly, the view of the federal government is the only one who can be relied upon in relation to this is NSW." He also pointed to Western Australia which locked down Perth after just one case of community transmission was reported. However Mr Clennell pointed out the federal government was demonstrating very little resistance to "overkill" lockdowns by state governments due to electoral concerns. “We’re facing a tight federal election. The public want caution around the virus above all else even as people get vaccinated.”

from Breaking National News and Australian News | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/39sUFfa