Former top doctor claims ‘fear persisted far too long’ in pandemic response

Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth believes Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was dominated by fear for “far too long” after health experts knew who the virus affected and how to protect from it. The comments follow the release of an independent review into governments’ response to the pandemic which found they veered into overreach by overusing lockdowns and failed large swathes of the community with inadequate economic support packages. Dr Coatsworth was part of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee which comprises all state and territory Chief Health Officers and is chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer and was central to the pandemic response. He said the discussions and spectrum of views presented in the AHPPC were effective but admitted when states CHOs began applying their own recommendations to state governments the response was dictated by fear rather than evidence.