“Staying apart keeps us together.”
One could easily mistake this for a slogan originating in some fictional dystopia. Unfortunately, that intuition would not be far off — it’s from Australia.
Most Americans don’t think of Australia as dystopian, but the southernmost member of the Anglosphere has descended into a bureaucratic hellscape over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ominous phrase mentioned above comes from the Australian state of Victoria. It is part of a government-led effort to keep citizens connected in spite of the social restrictions placed on them due to the coronavirus. Though this may not sound particularly abnormal, Victoria is notable in that not a single person in the state has died of the virus since October of last year.
Individuals can differ in their opinions regarding the necessity of lockdowns. That’s fine. However, it seems reasonable to think that when literally no one has died of a given disease for almost a year, shutting down society over it makes little sense.
Victoria is not alone. Half of Australia’s 25 million inhabitants are currently ensnared in COVID-19 restrictions of some sort, even though only nine deaths related to the virus has occurred nationwide since the beginning of the year.
These restrictions aren’t light either. While we groan about indoor mask mandates in the states, Australians have found themselves in something that resembles the beginnings of an unabashed autocracy. People living in Victoria can only leave their homes for a limited selection of government-approved activities (essential shopping, authorized work or education, timed exercise, caregiving, compassionate and medical reasons, or to get vaccinated.) Even when leaving for a state-sanctioned reason, Victorians aren’t permitted to travel more than five kilometers (roughly three miles) away from their residence.
Visits are banned. Everything but the most essential of services has been forced closed by the government. Church gatherings are effectively prohibited. Masks are required everywhere at all times.
With COVID-related mortality at nearly zero, such restrictions represent an unprecedented overreaction.
The Biden administration needs to pressure Australian leadership to drop their senseless restrictions. Perhaps he should even offer some of our excess vaccines to sweeten the pot. This could both bolster one of our closest military allies and build goodwill among the Australian people.
