The six things we need to do to eradicate COVID-19, according to an epidemiologist

An epidemiologist says the return to Stage Three lockdown for Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire is a smart move, but that alone won’t be enough for us to beat coronavirus.

Professorial Fellow in Epidemiology at Melbourne University, Professor Tony Blakely, says there are six things we need to do to fight COVID-19.

Professor Blakely’s six-point plan to eradicate COVID-19:

1. Follow the lockdown rules.

If you’re in a lockdown area, only leave home for the four essential reasons outlined by the state government: shopping for essentials, care or caregiving, exercise and study or work if you can’t do it from home.

2. Tighten the definition of essential workers.

“Two houses up from me we’ve got people on a residential building site, is that essential work?,” Professor Blakely said.

3. Don’t reopen schools

“Kids don’t get sick from COVID … but they still transmit it, so if we’re trying to really knock this thing for six and get the rate right down and then eliminate, we need to, unfortunately, close the schools.”

4. Masks should be delivered to all households

“When you need to be in a closed environment inside, like the supermarket or on the bus or train, you have a mask to put on. It reduces the transmission by about 80 per cent, it’s a no-brainer.”

5. Close more shops

“We’ve got ambiguous signals … let’s just make it clear.

“Get all the department stores and the Bunnings … other than for the tradies, shut until such time as we’ve got the numbers down.”

6. More training for essential staff

“We need to actually think about our frontline staff, be they on a checkout or be they the quarantine security guards, they’re our heroes, they’re out on the frontline. They need to be given the resources which includes training and recognition they’re doing a good job.”

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