The Prime Minister of COVID19

You are expendable. Your family and friends are expendable. If you are old or frail or ill or otherwise vulnerable you are especially expendable, as Sideshow Scott, prime minister of Australia, has repeatedly made clear from the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today the NSW state government admitted to 20,794 “official” new Covid cases and Victoria 8,577, with seven deaths across both states. Tasmania has reported 466 new Covid-19 cases, making it another record day for fresh infections there. Queensland has announced 4,249 new COVID-19 cases.

As predicted by those who actually know what they are talking about – those who struggle at the public health coalface – hospital beds are filling up and hospital staff are being crushed.

Resident Evil.

But NSW state premier Perrotet still has no regrets and PM Morrison offers us his thoughts and prayers and magical God-given handshakes as he claims that hospitals are “equipped” to manage the Omicron surge, despite clear evidence to the contrary provided by nurses and doctors. The Guardian reports: ‘With 1204 people hospitalised with the virus today in NSW alone – up from 1066 the day before – and more than 2500 health workers furloughed, the health system is under strain… As of December 30, 2510 healthcare workers were in isolation after being exposed to COVID-19.’

And being such a devout Christian, Morrison says “We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free,” as he farms out rapid antigen tests [RATS] to business mates who sell the kits for profit. Morrison’s mob of mediocrities has also removed access to Medicare rebates for Covid tests. From the ABC online: ‘[Morrison] said businesses needed confidence they would not be “undercut” by free testing regimes. “By making that policy very, very clear, then that means the private market, whether it’s in the big warehouse pharmacies or the other pharmacies or the supermarkets, they can now go and stock their shelves with confidence that they won’t be undercut by the government.”

No doubt this is a fine example of Morrison’s “can-do Capitalism”.

In the words of independent Senator Rex Patrick ‘The case for widespread free RATs is clear, but Scott Morrison says “you can’t just make everything free”. He didn’t say that to big business as they took $billions in JobKeeper money they didn’t need. And the PM has billions more put away for election pork barreling.’

As somebody commented on Twitter, “What is more apparent now is that COVID is rapidly spreading through Australian communities at a time when definitions of close contacts, testing centres and rebates are scaling back. This is solely to hide the true case numbers from us.” It was obvious from the start of this pandemic: the health and safety of the general public is NOT a priority for Morrison and the federal government or the NSW government under Gladys “I don’t need to know that” Berejiklian and now that creepy Opus Dei nutter Perrottet.

Let the Covid Hunger Games continue as they began two years ago. And may the odds be ever in your favour!!!