An agitated Karl Stefanovic has told politicians to ‘back out’ and let Aussies make their own decisions about Covid rules as a top doctor says the time for mandates is over.
“I just have to say this, I’m tired of governments being so much in our lives,” the Today Show host said after Dr. Nick Coatsworth.
‘Just go back. Let’s make our own decisions about what to do with the families. Even if we’re talking about having to mandate again, let’s make our own decisions.
‘We’ve done everything you wanted. Most of us had at least two shots. Back off and let me make my own decisions.
‘That’s my point. My mom thinks let’s go back to where it was. Put it back on. Australia now, have a nice day.’
An excited Karl Stefanovic has told politicians to ‘back out’ and let Aussies make their own decisions about Covid as a top doctor calls for the end of restrictions
Stefanovic’s tirade comes as Anthony’s government is urging Albanian Australians to work from home if possible as Covid and flu cases rise – despite calls from business leaders to keep the country open.
dr. However, Coatsworth called on the government to end mandates for Covid measures.
“I think what many Australians feel and agree with is that the time for mandating some of these interventions will expire in July 2022,” he said.
Stefanovic’s tirade came after Dr. Coatsworth (pictured) had called on government to end mandates for Covid measures such as vaccines amid a surge in new infections
Stefanovic said part of the population was tired of even hearing about Covid, while the other part was open to the return of mandates.
“But you have to move on with this. Especially considering that many people have had worse respiratory viruses than Covid in the first place,” he said.
“They say it right, damn it. I’m going outside. I don’t do it anymore.’
dr. Coatsworth agreed with Stefanovic, saying that the majority of Australians would simply ‘expand’ at the mention of mandates.
Stefanovic said he could “feel tensions rising again” as the third wave of the virus hits the country with dominant Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5.
“I’m amazed that in July 2022, Australia will be a nation that is really starting to fix this again,” the top doctor replied.
“I think we should really come together and realize it’s a deal, but it’s not the same as it was two years ago.”
Doctors have strongly recommended Aussies wear masks indoors amid a surge in new infections (photo, Sydney commuters)
When asked whether ending the mandatory seven-day isolation period for Covid cases, the top doctors said it would “help” but it was up to health authorities.
“But I’m afraid, given what we said to Ally this morning, the country’s top health officials may not be ready for that,” joked Dr. Coatsworth.
It comes just days after Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, warned Australians are being “cooked slowly as frogs” to accept current death rates – with deaths topping 10,000 last week.
dr. Moy told ABC’s News Breakfast on Monday that health authorities are more concerned about Covid now than they have been in many months.
He said doctors are concerned about the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants because they “are more infective, cause more re-infections and serious illness” and travel through the lungs.
dr. Moy blamed the federal election for giving the country a “false sense of security” as politicians ended mask mandates and restrictions to signal victory over the virus.
Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, said doctors are concerned about the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants because they are more contagious (photo, Sydney commuters)
“Unfortunately we are like slow-cooked frogs to some extent and we accept this death rate that continues,” he said.
He said there have been more than 10,200 deaths of people with Covid in their system in the past two and a half years since the virus emerged.
Australia’s most recent annual death toll from all causes is 160,000.
dr. Moy advised people with symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or cough to get a PCR test immediately and not rely on a RAT, where virus detection rates were only 60 percent.
“Really consider wearing a mask in high-risk situations,” the doctor urged.
Aussies over 30 have been urged to consider rolling up their sleeves for a fourth vaccine dose (pictured, a woman gets vaccinated in Melbourne)
“Because what we have to do in the next 5-10 weeks, it’s going to be a very risky period for us and we just don’t want to overload the hospitals.”
dr. Coatsworth this week called for the end of vaccine mandates, saying it was time for companies to give unvaccinated Aussies their jobs back.
The critic of many of the pandemic measures took to the pages of the Australian Financial Review to argue that punishing those who had not been vaccinated was now morally dubious, scientifically ineffective and could be open to legal challenge.
Some of the country’s largest employers, such as Coles, Woolworths, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Telstra and the Commonwealth Bank, have open ‘no jab, no work’ policies.
The doctor said that while he had initially supported the mandates to overcome the “natural human slowness of getting vaccinated,” that period had passed.