Australia’s response to COVID-19 exacerbated existing inequalities within the society, according to an independent review, which urges that “overreach” be avoided in dealing with future such crises.
Those bearing “the brunt” of the pandemic included low socio-economic families, women, children, those in aged care, people with disabilities, temporary migrants, and multicultural communities, the review says.
It says lockdowns and border closures should have been used less, schools kept open in the main, and older people better protected in an aged care system known to have pre-existing problems. Decision making was not transparent enough.
