Blaming individuals for the spread of COVID helps the government off the hook

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The last so-called COVID offenders in our history were three Sydney movers who faced days of rage for allegedly triggering the state’s fifth lockdown by violating guidelines.

Prime Minister Daniel Andrews has said that anyone convicted of similar offenses has every chance of becoming very famous, suggesting he would be willing to publicly name and shame these villains. Stoking public anger, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar vowed the wheels of justice would get them. ”But that never happened.

Movers bringing furniture from Sydney have been blamed for the latest outbreak in Melbourne.Credit: Jason South

It turns out that they may not have been helpful, but it is now believed that they did not violate the terms of their permits, which were specially designed for commercial freight workers, which allowed them to ” enter the state on July 8 to deliver furniture.

The specified worker permit (low workplace interaction) also meant they could remove their face coverings while undertaking heavy work like moving refrigerators. Irresponsible, perhaps. Illegal, no.

The NSW government has adopted this strategy as well, attributing its outbreaks to lapses of personal responsibility rather than structural errors.

The limo driver dubbed Sydney’s Patient Zero and the barbecue man have both been accused of starting epidemics north of the border. Both were cleared of any wrongdoing.

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Earlier in the outbreak, Queensland authorities identified a tradie, who also worked as a male artist and was infected with COVID-19 while performing at a hen party, as spreading the virus to across its border with New South Wales.

It was easier for us to issue a collective tut than to dig deeper and ask how the health worker he had caught it from was not better protected when treating returning travelers.

Mobilizing citizens around a common enemy, even an innocent one, unites us in anger. These scapegoats may bring us together, but it does little to address the structural issues or government inaction that allow this virus to spread.

Governments abroad are increasingly blaming the unvaccinated for spreading the virus.

In the United States, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama recently told fellow Americans it was time to start blaming unvaccinated people for the increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States.

Such a narrative implies that an individual’s hesitation, laziness or selfishness is to blame if they fall ill, releasing the government from its responsibility for equitable access to vaccines or a better communication strategy. .

As we know in Australia, where the vaccine rollout has been a government-sponsored disaster, this is simply not the case.

We all must take personal responsibility for ensuring our safety and that of the community during the pandemic. But the vast majority of the public have obeyed the rules and restrictions despite the inconvenience they cause.

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Knowing how and where epidemics begin gives health authorities valuable information that can shed light on our behaviors and help shape a public health response. This can lead to clearer government messages, better community compliance, and more robust measures to prevent outbreaks.

But using this information to lay blame on sick individuals makes governments less accountable, not more accountable.

Just as a person cannot beat COVID-19 alone, no person can be held responsible for an epidemic.

Annika Smethurst is editor-in-chief of state policy.

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