App to kick-start post-COVID-19 economy

From TSBE CEO, Ali Davenport

The announcement that some Coronavirus restrictions will be relaxed this weekend in Queensland has come much earlier than most of us were anticipating. It certainly is welcome news and I’m going to enjoy the new freedoms that I once took for granted.

Part of me, though, is nervous that we’re going to become complacent and once again be hit by the virus.  If this occurs and Queensland is forced to shut down again, our economy will be devastated.  If there is a second wave there will be many more job losses and business bankruptcies and there will be very little the Federal and State Governments can do to support people financially due to the government expenditure that has already occurred.  There’s simply not enough left in government and business balance sheets to withstand a second shutdown, and we  cannot allow this to happen in Australia.

The only way that we can stop this second wave from happening is to continue social distancing and isolate those people in our community who contract the virus so that it doesn’t spread.  One of the ways we can all help is to download the Federal Government’s COVIDSafe app which helps identify, trace and isolate those who have Coronavirus.

At first when I heard about the app I was reluctant to download it because I was concerned about my privacy.   But when I thought about the devastation that a second wave of the virus could bring to our local economy and I thought of the risk to our elderly and vulnerable people in the community who could die if we allow the virus to spread I decided that the right thing to do was download the app.  

Also the Federal Government has gone to unprecedented lengths to ensure the security of the app, with the contact numbers picked up by a person's phone only downloaded by a health officer when someone gets the coronavirus and gives permission.

The only way the app will be able to do its job and keep us safe from COVID-19 is if at least half of the population download it.  I would encourage everyone to do this as a way that you can not only contribute to the health and safety of everyone in the community but you can also ensure that our local businesses will be safe from a second shutdown that will damage our economy.