The Election Campaign’s Silence On Covid Makes For An Uncertain Future

Only one day away from the Federal Election and Covid still remains a silent agenda.

The absence of rigorous health policies from either major party, despite Australia’s current Covid zeitgeist with escalating cases and deaths seems a little short-sighted.

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Particularly with hundreds of thousands of Aussies managing long-Covid symptoms, school children falling behind in class work and emotional up-skilling, not to mention the health care workforce in crisis across the nation.

There has been some spruiking on dropping the price of medicines, additional support to rural and regional health from the Coalition and a focus on primary care from Labor, but it seems wanting in the current climate.

Australian Medical Association President Dr Omar Khorsid is concerned hospital clinics will not be able to meet demand for services to manage long Covid.

"We need the system to provide services, and the next government won't be able to ignore long Covid" he said.

"What's happened is that the bean counters, the politicians, have just underestimated the extent of the demand for health care in our country."

- Dr Korshid

Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this:

Western Australia 

• New cases: 15,205
• Covid-related deaths: 5
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 304 / 11

Northern Territory 

• New cases: 290
• Covid-related deaths: 1
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 23 / 2

Australian Capital Territory 

• New cases: 963   
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 84 / 4 

Queensland 

• New cases: 6,220
• Covid-related deaths: 9
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 478 / 11

New South Wales 

• New cases: 10,084
• Covid-related deaths: 10
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,226 / 41

Victoria 

• New cases: 12,556
• Covid-related deaths: 23
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 514 / 35

South Australia 

• New cases: 3,901
• Covid-related deaths: 4
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 218 / 13

Tasmania 

• New cases: 967
• Covid-related deaths: 0
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 44 / 1

New Zealand 

• New cases: 7,800
• Covid-related deaths: 17
• Hospital and ICU admissions: 401 / 14

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