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盼政府能從善如流                       社長    周偉文

過去兩週，維州疫情陷在二次爆發之中。事件起因是由於州政府沒有作好對入境者的隔離酒店管理，再加上聯邦政府沒有向少數族裔作出足夠的有關疫症防預教育，令情況變成一發不可收拾。現時維州疫情仍未受到控制，不過聯邦政府及州政府已不再堅持口罩無用的理論，建議在隔離政策下的維州居民，在公眾地方戴上可重用的布口罩。雖然維州政府沒有立例強制在公眾地方強制佩戴口罩，但最少政府承認戴上口罩有助抗疫。

多個月來，我們提倡「我的口罩保護你，你的口罩保護我」的概念，我們明白澳洲沒有足夠醫療用一次性口罩，因此我們相信可重用口罩更值得推廣。自四月開始，我們推動使用自製可重用口罩，為的是不希望醫療口罩的供應受到影響。

新冠病毒是人類要一起面對的新事物，有科研學者認為病毒已產生了變異，傳播速度加快了。全球爆發個案大幅增加，每一天增加超過  250,000，每一個國家都要謹慎面對，一些疫情受到控制的國家亦不能掉以輕心。

澳洲一直以來算是成功控制疫情的西方國家，明顯是得力於澳洲是一個大海島，容易與外界保持隔離。不過維州政府把關不力，令病毒走進社區，需要負上責任。現時州長安得魯斯強力推動隔離是值得支持，不過他沒有迅速追究哪一個部門要為疫情負上責任，明顯是失職，將會大失民心。一個弄不小心，隨時引發政治危機。
另一方面，聯邦政府沒有做好向少數族裔的疫情教育推廣，忽視了通過少數族裔媒體宣傳的重要性，只官僚地說明已經做了多少功夫，卻不去正視這些功夫的成效，是不負責任的行為。當受到媒體指責時，過去兩三週，不少政府部份首長都向少數族裔發放公關訊息，表明自己部門已作了適當的溝通回應，其實也是虛應故事。
聯邦政府現時該做的，應該是撥出資源，通過少數族裔社區組織及媒體，發放信息。澳洲是多元文化社會，政府不能忽視多元文化媒體的角色，在這緊急時期，向它們只提供少量資源。在疫情肆虐期間，政府要動用社會各民族的社會力量來抗疫，不然整個社會都會受到影響。

The government must act in the interest of the public

Victoria has sparked our second wave of coronavirus over these two weeks. It was mainly caused by the poor management of the government in the hotel quarantine of incoming passengers and the failure in educating ethnic minorities on the pandemic. Amid the chaos, the government has foregone the insistence that facial masks are not necessary in controlling the spread. Thus even it is not taken as a compulsory measure at least the government encourages putting on reusable cloth coverings in public areas.
For several months it has been our slogan ‘my mask protects you and yours protect me’. We also favour reusable facial cover given we may not have unlimited supply of disposable medical masks. Since April we have been promoting DIY masks in order not to affect the health sector supply.
This virus is new one that requires the concerted attention of the globe. Scientific study tells has mutated into a more powerful one. Every country is facing its explosive impact adding 250,000 new cases every day. No country even in a stabilised state should take it lightly .
As an isolated huge island Australia has been doing quite well in tackling the spreading. It is the Victorian government’s responsibility in causing this disturbing situation. Premier Andrew for now is keen on imposing lockdown but it is no good for not following up the accountability of the mistake. This could end up with a political crisis.
Likewise the failure of the federal government in well informing ethnic minority communities on the pandemic is a mistake, more so as the officials just tried to deny and shed the responsibility. In response to charge from the media over the past weeks, their official messages to the communities maintained the same hypocrite answer of doing enough.
The government should now double down resource on community information through local media and organisations. Australia as a multicultural nation must take care of ethnic minorities in particular during this critical time of needs. This is a trying time where the government must take on all community power from all sectors of the society in the interest of the whole nation.