Conflicting COVID conversation causing confusion

A leading local  epidemiologist believes we need a better education program to show people who to best deal with COVID-19, not more restrictions and rules.

Geelong COVID numbers continue a steady climb over the past three weeks after the May Omicron surge bottomed out a month ago.

The number of active cases is at a 7 day rolling average of 2437, with daily infections ranging wildly between 300 – 600.

Numbers in Queenscliffe have also exploded with the borough now having the most COVID cases per capita, one in 77 people currently positive.

In Greater Geelong, one in every 104 residents has COVID right now, while on the Surf Coast one in every 122 residents is undergoing 7 day isolation.

^{Active cases have been slowly rising after the inital May Omicron surge}

Chair of Epidemiology at Deakin University Professor Catherine Bennett doesn’t believe rules or restrictions are needed

“I know a lot of people are saying we should have rules back, people aren’t doing the right thing”

“What we now need instead of rules (is) better information.”

“Not just telling people what to do, but actually saying ‘we surveyed 1000 people who wore masks, and 1000 people who didn’t … and the infection rate was different,’ something that tells people what works”

 

 

Image: Chair of Epidemiology at Deakin University Professor Catherine Bennett [Supplied]