Australia needs to renew its focus on reducing COVID-19 transmission, says Burnet Institute Director and CEO Professor Brendan Crabb AC.
Speaking to The Australian, Professor Crabb stressed that the end of winter would not spell the end of the pandemic as another wave of cases would inevitably arrive.
The latest Burnet Institute modelling suggests COVID-19 infections will peak in mid-August, but mask-wearing indoors and more Australians getting their vaccine boosters could reduce hospitalisations and deaths.
"I'd like the Prime Minister and the premiers to say 'Anything that can be construed as a "let it rip" strategy is dead, it's now about reducing transmission, getting this under control, reducing cases'," Professor Crabb said.
"In the emergency of a pandemic, it makes sense to give ourselves a lot of options ... but there's nothing more tragic than to literally throw out life-saving vials of vaccine," @CrabbBrendan tells @tomlowrey @abcmelbourne @RadioNational @ausglobalhealth https://t.co/eIpnAJ1N5C
— Burnet Institute (@BurnetInstitute) July 18, 2022
"The really good news is this does not need the methods of 2020 or 2021. We know a lot more and we have better tools now. They were really nicely outlined in the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee report of a week ago. There are only three things: get vaccinated, breathe clean air and get tested and isolate if you're positive."
Professor Crabb said he would also support the Institute's modelling for state and federal governments being made public.
He believes that reviewing the federal government's acquisition and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines will stand Australia in good stead in the coming months, with news that millions of vaccine doses could be wasted.
"We do need to review that very closely and decide how we can do better next time because there's nothing more tragic than to literally throw out lifesaving vials of vaccine," Professor Crabb told the ABC's AM program.
