THE best news recently has been the decision by the NSW Premier to overrule her health advisers and insist that the state will lift most COVID-induced restrictions when 70 per cent of the citizens are fully vaccinated.
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The health bureaucrats who have been advising the Premier are experts in one thing only - infectious diseases.
We elect our politicians to make decisions based on all relevant considerations, with advice from the experts in all fields.
The COVID virus poses a big threat to the unvaccinated, with serious illness in some and death in extreme cases.
However, the damage done in other areas by the strategies to stop the virus spread must be considered, so the cure isn't worse than the disease.
The Premier must consider the huge number of people who have lost their jobs and cannot pay their rents, mortgages and bills, particularly lower paid people in hospitality, tourism and retailing.
There are the small business failures, the huge financial losses and loan defaults by their owners.
Large businesses can raise more capital from their shareholders; small businesses cannot.
They close if their owners have insufficient reserves.
Hundreds of thousands of children across the country have missed face-to-face schooling.
They have lost learning opportunities; their education has been set back.
This is especially so for children in homes lacking equipment or with poor internet coverage.
There are the mental health issues including depression, family violence and divorces.
People in some states have been locked in home detention for months.
This must be especially difficult for single people living alone, young and old.
Mental health services have reported sharply increased demand.
People are unable to attend family funerals and weddings, or visit relatives in aged care.
Boarding school students cannot travel home for holidays across state borders.
Hundreds of billions of dollars of public debt have been run up by all levels of government.
It will have to be repaid by future taxpayers.
Weighing all these issues against the medical threat of COVID and deciding to open NSW at 70 per cent vaccinated is the right decision.
Other states will follow.
Victoria has conceded that it will. The smaller states cannot remain isolated from the world.
We will see a rapid economic rebound, with a big Christmas spend. Travel bookings are rising.
Hopefully, international students will return next year and rescue universities from huge losses.
Education was one of our biggest export earners and we need it back.
We will have a strong economy in 2022. Investors should see healthy financial markets from late this year right through the next.
