The federal government wants Australians to sign up to the TraceTogether app, which logs your social interactions via bluetooth. But how much privacy will we sacrifice to combat COVID-19?
Nail salons, tanning, waxing and most beauty services have been forced to close – but hairdressers have been deemed ‘essential’ and are still operating.
Many want to do the right thing – tenants and landlords alike. But they lack guidance on how to go about it while still keeping their own heads above water.
Government action to control rents isn’t unprecedented. Menzies did it in the second world and subsequent state measures kept rents in check for decades. Now extreme circumstances justify it again.
Ilan Noy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Many countries are spending record amounts to support people and businesses affected by COVID-19, but we need to scrutinise fiscal support because it’s money we’re borrowing from future generations.
The app is promising as a go-to resource for COVID-19 information. But as the crisis unfolds, these extra features could make it a more effective tool.
Many operators have lost almost all their fare revenue. Even those who operate on contract terms that reduce the impact of falling patronage must bear the costs of disinfection and other precautions.
Housing is our first line of defence against coronavirus, so leaving someone homeless increases the risk for everyone. Australia should follow other countries in imposing a moratorium on evictions.
Many people don’t realise high-income earners are the biggest users of public transport in Australian cities, but it’s still low-income earners who are most vulnerable to service disruptions.
Government schools remain open but many parents are already voluntarily keeping their children home in an effort to ‘flatten the curve’.
Zuo Ansheng, a flour figurine master, makes flour works related to the coronavirus in Yinan county in Shandong province, Feb. 7, 2020.
Feature China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
The human spirit is tested during difficult times, but a scholar already has found examples of how people found ways to support one another in China. Other countries have shown similar resilience.
Disasters and times of crisis bring out the best in most of us. Despite the media focus on initial panic at the COVID-19 pandemic, we are are starting to see a more heartening community response.
Australia can learn from what has been done overseas, especially in China, to keep public transport running while containing the spread of coronavirus.
Currently, the number of confirmed global COVID-19 cases is doubling about every six days. At this rate, Australia’s health sector will be unable to cope.
A COVID-19 test kit is shown at a coronavirus evaluation clinic in Montreal on March 10, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Senior Lecturer, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne; Senior Research Fellow, Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne
Professor, School for the Future of Innovation in Society & School of Computing, Informatics and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State University