Review on The Year of Pandemics 2020

Published on December 31, 2020, By admin

Review of 2020 - historic year of pandemics

2020 has been a devastated year for the world due to the global pandemics of COVID-19.

Many governments around the world had imposed unprecedented social restriction measures such as lock down, to combat spread of the COVID-19 disease in the community.

Here are the reviews of this year's roller coaster event in Australia and the impact specifically on migrants, students, and temporary visa holders.


March:

Australia federal government imposed travel restriction from overseas, and a local shutdown causing migration and economic impacts to the community.

International students in particular, are hit the hardest because also the border closure in their home country. Due to lack of casual and part-time employment to support their stay, and being unqualified to both the jobseeker and jobkeeper economic stimulus program, they are survived with reliance from charity support.


May:

Australia intake of immigrants fall 85% due to coronavirus as compare to 2018-2019, with 300,000 temporary visa holders have already left Australia since the start of the year


July (Victoria 2nd wave):

Victoria's hotel quarantine bungle by using private security guard had caused an exponential surge of 2nd wave in coronavirus infections, which resulted in hundreds of preventable deaths for people 50+, and the elderly in nursing home.

One particular community hit the hardest with hard lockdown is the public housing towers in Flemington. Where residents comprise a diverse language backgrounds of Sudanese, Vietnamese, and Lebonese origin had enforced to remained at their premise for at least 5 days, to limit the spread of local transmission.

Eventually the state of imposed a state wide lockdown which lasted for more than 3 months.

During this time, the Indian Sikhs community provided food support, and other general needs to the public housing community.


November:

Northern Territory is trialling the return of international students, the first group arrived in 30th November. These students are mostly from from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia.


December:

Interstate border closure forcing labour shortages on jobs such as fruit picking and sheep shearing, which are normally employed by backpackers and people on temporary working visa.

The July public housing lockdown in Victoria was found to be violation of human rights, according to the Victoria ombudsman.


Finally, the good news is that a vaccine has been developed, tested and approved from overseas, and Australia TGA will review their trial and on-going data to get the vaccine approval in the next month or so, and with government believes the vaccine rollout plan will be completed by October 2021.

2021 will be more optimistic after hardship had endured around the world from the pandemics.

So we wish everyone a prosper, safe, healthy and a happy new year in 2021.


Ozihelp admin, 31.12.2020