If there is one country that has tackled the COVID-19 pandemic and stopped it in its tracks, then that is Australia. Since World War II, the coronavirus problem is simply the most volatile and hard-hitting thing to have struck societies and economies throughout the world.

While the times of war can make a nation’s leader a natural hero, it is the uncertainty and loss of lives at peacetime that the mantle of leader is truly put to the test. Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison has established his merit by fending off Australia from the destruction caused by the novel coronavirus across the world.

A Series Of Challenges

In the year 2019, Australia witnessed one of the worst catastrophes of bushfire outbreaks. Scott Morrison’s government was widely appreciated by national and international media for dozing off the flames and saving innumerable lives of plants, animals and humans. Coming into the year 2020, PM Morrison took control of Australia’s steering wheel once again for a war-scale preparation against the global pandemic.

The COVID-19 Trajectory In Australia

Let us take a look at the timeline of the development of events in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding measures adopted by the Australian government:

• On December 12, 2019, the first-ever case of 2019-nCoV was detected in the Wuhan city of China. Interestingly, the Chinese government withheld this information from the common Chinese public as well as international organizations.
• The death of a 61 years old male was cited as the first casualty resulting from the deadly virus, reported on January 09, 2020.
• On January 20, 2020, China finally informed the world that the virus has the potential of spreading through human contact.
• Taking stock of the situation, the Scott Morrison led federal government included the novel coronavirus in the exhaustive list of diseases under the Biosecurity Act of 2015. It allowed the federal government to initiate strict border management measures in the country.
• The chief medical officer appointed by the Scott Morrison government, Brendan Murphy, informed the nation about the regulations put-up to scan and identify potential coronavirus vectors in flights coming from China on January 21, 2020.
• On January 23, 2020, the Prime Minister directed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to finish new travel guidelines in light of the exponentially rising number of cases in China.

On the same day, the PM advised the Chinese authorities to stop all kinds of transportation out of Wuhan.

• By January 24, 2020, Scott Morisson’s federal government effectively stopped all travel operations to the Hubei province of China. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade brought this measure into swift implementation.

It is important to take note that at this point, the Australian government was one of the first few countries to identify and understand the severe gravity of the novel coronavirus. The Scott Morrison government was invested heavily in protecting its mainland and overseas citizens.

• On January 25, 2020, the first confirmed case of a coronavirus patient appeared in Melbourne.
• The federal government initiated war-level preparations as an expert committee set-up by PM Morrison declared that children below the age of 14 who have travelled to Australia from outside need to be quarantined for a fortnight.
• By January 28, 2020, the official number of coronavirus cases declared by the People’s Republic of China stood at 4,500. Taking stock of the situation, the Australian government advised the “vulnerable” population to adopt wearing face masks.

Scott Morrison’s government deliberated on sending consular officials to the Chinese province of Hubei to design relief measures for Australian citizens.

• On January 29, 2020, PM Morrison stepped up his government’s efforts by deciding to evacuate his fellow countrymen from Hubei province and Wuhan city. Government started the distribution of more than 1 million face masks via the primary health channels and pharmacies.
• While the U.S.A. was witnessing the rapid rise in coronavirus patients in thousands by the end of January, Australia was successful in containing the number of cases at seven by the end of the first month of 2020.
• The federal government put forth a firm stand on its use of Christmas Island as the quarantine base for incoming citizens.
• The World Health Organization declared the 2019-nCoV as a public health emergency of international concern on January 31, 2020. The comments and views of the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had played a vital role in the WHO changing its position on the pandemic.
• New Zealand, the United States of America and eight other nations follow the Australian example of shutting its borders against any outside entry.
• On February 03, 2020, the government successfully brought back 243 permanent residents and citizens of Australia.

The Leader Who Excelled

The Scott Morrison led National Cabinet kept a sharp observation throughout February on the evolving situation. When the number of coronavirus cases started showing an upward trend in March, the government ordered an indefinite shutting down of all places of worship, cinemas, gyms and bars. Further, the federal government launched an application to keep a track on the number of coronavirus cases. Such measures were given powerful backing by the augmentation of the public health system and testing mechanism. It was the faith and trust of the Australian citizens in Prime Minister Morrison that they readily followed the rules of social distancing. It undoubtedly led to great advantage in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Given the nature of the spread of the virus, the number of infections rose to 460 by March 28, 2020. Still, with the effective implementation of a lockdown period and strengthening of the public healthcare infrastructure, the country reported only 16 new cases as of May 03, 2020. At the same time, some states have officially declared the flattering of the curve. That is an excellent example of strong leadership and commitment towards securing the health of the citizens and state of the economy. It is no wonder that PM Scott Morrison is being hailed across the globe for displaying strong leadership.

Final Thoughts

Australia is on the path of defeating the pandemic of COVID-19. As PM Morisson noted, “Australians have earned an early mark.” He made his intentions of keeping up the fight while also making sure that the economy can be fast-tracked when he said, “We need to restart our economy, we need to restart our society.” The people of Australia stood firmly with their Prime Minister to save their great nation from a mammoth crisis.

At last, Lebanon Abroad would like to thank the Australian government, particularly Prime Minister Scott Morrison for displaying exemplary leadership abilities during the times of a global crisis. He is going to be remembered as one of the most significant personalities to hold the office of Prime Minister.