, Columnist
Why I’m Nervous About the End of Lockdown
Life is gradually returning to normal in Australia, yet we’re little closer to understanding the coronavirus.
Breathe in… But whatever you do, don’t breathe out.
Photographer: Brendon Thorne/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Is this what normal life looks like?
Somehow, my home country of Australia has managed to avoid the worst ravages of the coronavirus. Fewer than 100 people have died, and it’s now been a month since more than 50 cases were reported on any one day. More than a million tests have been conducted — in a population of about 25.7 million — and less than one in a hundred of those have shown an infection. Local transmission has been slight, with more than 60% of cases acquired overseas. Across the country, just 12 people are now in intensive care with Covid-19.