Paul Kelly, Australia’s Deputy Medical Health Officer held a press conference on the afternoon of May 20th and can’t see why states and territories continue to keep their borders closed. He can’t understand why states and territories with closed borders are reluctant to have people visiting from other states and territories around Australia.

Dr Kelly may not understandi, but thank goodness premiers, chief ministers, and others who have to do with setting policies on access, do.

At the moment, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, and Northern Territory have closed their borders to people from interstate. New South Wales, Victoria and The Australian Capital Territory have open borders.

The ACT has open borders to its territory because of affiliation with New South Wales.

Dr Kelly has an ally when it comes to opening borders in Gladys Berejiklian the New South Wales Premier.

The Kelly/Berejiklian argument is that we are stifling Australia’s economic recovery by keeping our borders closed.

That is a case of putting economy ahead of the health and well-being of people. Victoria, and New South Wales are breeding grounds for COVID-19 cases. While some of those cases are infections of people who have returned from overseas, an increasing percentage are about community transmission and evolution of the virus within clusters. For travel to be free and unrequited between ‘infected’ states and those states and territories within Australia that are close to being virus free would be an absolute travesty..

I sincerely hope that Medical Officers who are giving advice and our leaders of states and territories are not unduly persuaded by the clamour of those who want borders to be prematurely opened.

Early opening could be deadly.