The basic economics apply: you can’t buy masks or self-finance your COVID tests without money. Credit: Justin McManus
But those who have less money will not do so well.
They will be forced to navigate the world without the protection of a regular mask and RAT, or to make heartbreaking sacrifices to afford these items. These can include skipping meals, not using electricity, losing needed medications, or not paying bills, which further aggravates other challenges in their lives.
Poor, immunosuppressed people, or medically vulnerable people in some other way, can “choose” to stay home completely, entering into a form of endless personal confinement.
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All of these scenarios are totally unacceptable. Your income and zip code should not determine your health or that of your loved ones and your local community.
A high-level public campaign to encourage more people to receive COVID reinforcement also presents challenges. Simply asking people to get their hit is not good enough.
Extensive campaigns do not reach everyone, and not everyone has the financial or practical means to get vaccinated. This is especially true for disadvantaged, multicultural, or geographically isolated communities.
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Intensive community outreach, genuine engagement with community organizations and local leaders, and personalized communication efforts are critical to increasing vaccine adoption.
The Victorian government knows this, because it did an admirable job throughout 2021 when vaccine supplies were finally deployed. This effort must be maintained.
(The recent decision by the national cabinet, after a week of almost universal sentencing, to continue support payments to casual workers is a welcome counterpoint to the broader trend towards personal responsibility).
If Victoria wants to move forward successfully, the needs of vulnerable people and the community organizations that support them need not be a later idea. They should be in front and in the center.
As an example, the state government has announced new cash subsidies for businesses to improve air quality on their premises. This makes sense, as no one wants to shop, dine or work in a crowded, unventilated environment.
But community-sector organizations, such as domestic violence shelters, homeless support centers, and community legal centers, are not eligible for these grants.
This is a particularly alarming omission given that people who frequent these environments often live with other forms of vulnerability, such as a health condition or a disability.
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No one knows when this COVID roller coaster will end, only it is not over yet.
As long as COVID remains a threat, we must ensure that the views and needs of people with less or existing precarious health play a major role.
The alternative is unthinkable: a two-way recovery, where those who can afford it live a life of relative security and freedom, while everyone else suffers from a lower quality of life, marked by isolation and illness. .
No one wants that.
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