'Enough': Australian newspaper The Age comes out against extended lockdown in fiery editorial
Australia’s The Age newspaper has created new divisions in Victoria after publishing a comprehensive editorial that harshly criticized the state government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and recent lockdown expansions.
Wednesday published pr editorial headline “_Victoria can not continue like this._The article condemned Victoria’s Prime Minister Daniel Andrews and the Labor State Government over its extension of tough lockdown measures and lack of evidence to back them up.
Restrictions were maintained despite officials admitting that it was no longer possible to obtain zero cases in the state - an ambitious pursuit that Andrews fought for.
“There comes a point and The Age believes that the point has been reached where the damage caused by the hardest and longest lockdowns in the country needs to be taken more seriously,“Sounds the editorial staff.
On social media, it immediately triggered a divide in the already polarized Victoria between those who support the premier’s continued lockdowns and those who have had enough.
Per noted the concessions that Andrews said would be given after reaching a 70% vaccination rate, e.g. Extending the permitted driving distance to 10 km from 5 km, but suggested that they were not enough. “The night ban remains in Melbourne, despite limited evidence that they make a difference, “Added it.
Mental health consequences and damage to the education of young Victorians were also at the heart of The Age’s peal. “Enough, “They Declared and Asked Andrews to State”need hope.”
No more lectures on compliance. No more measures that have limited if there is evidence for them just if they can help around the edges.
It added that it did not argue for a total cessation of restrictions, but that the government should “calculate those that could be lifted with minimal health risk but with maximum benefit for Victorians“And moving towards one”more balanced position.”
“The state can no longer live like this, ”Ends the editorial board.
The statement resonated with many on social media, who supported per. Attitude, but others were quick to mock it.
ABC journalist Leigh Sales praised the newspaper for its “strong“Words and repeated that”Victorians are past the point of endurance.”
Michael Rowland, another ABC journalist, also showed his support and agreed with The Age’s critique of what they claimed to be a “"lack of proper information“Comes from the state government.
However, one critic said that The Age should behave “more responsible“And”supports the measures“To keep Victoria safe. “We have no alternatives, ”They said on Twitter.
Age should behave more responsibly and support the measures in Victoria to protect us. We have no alternatives.
- Robyn (@ robynbryant33) September 1, 2021
Another person tweeted “F ** K Alderen”And followed up with the hashtag #f ** ktheage, which was then retweeted by #Istandbydan followers.
Andrews supporters launched a campaign to cancel per, despite being rated by some media fact-checking agencies as left-leaning.
Someone posted a photo on Twitter with the phone number to call to cancel their subscription on pr. “If you love Victoria, keep it beautiful and put trash like The Age in the trash,” they said.
Another, however, raged at Per, who said it should be illogical “for his own complicity in the madness“Of hard lockdowns in the first place.
The Age was once a real newspaper, but has been characterized by the waking Left over the last 4 decades. It supported Andrews fear-and-panic regime over Covid for 18 months, but even that has now had enough. But no ology yet for his own complicity in the madness. https://t.co/R6RtFubHLq
- The Sensible Center (@Progressive_Con) September 2, 2021
In August, Victoria in Melbourne, Melbourne, marked a total of 200 days of lockdowns in the 17 months since the pandemic began. Still in lockdown, state residents this week found out they will remain under restrictions for at least three weeks despite being told measures would end on Thursday.
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