Five more lowlights from Australia’s Covid fight

It was less than a fortnight ago that Steerpike wrote of Australia’s various missteps in its long fight with Covid. Since then, the (not so) Lucky Country has introduced a smorgasbord of extra restrictions to add to its various rules and regulations already in place, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison himself admitting that ‘this is not a sustainable way to live in this country.’ Below Mr S presents his list of some of the more egregious of these…

Tracking

Few Covid innovations have generated as many headlines as that of South Australia’s home-based quarantine. The state has developed and is now testing an app to enforce its quarantine rules which – in the words of the Atlantic – is as ‘Orwellian as any in the free world’. Those travellers returning and quarantining at home have to download an app that combines facial recognition and geolocation. 

The state will then text them at random intervals, with the quarantining Aussie being given just 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the location where they are supposed to be.