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Pandemic response reports reveal politics trumped science with pandemic school closures.

Anthony LaMesa
4 min readOct 20, 2022

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Australian and Dutch school closures were political choices.

Throughout the pandemic, the public was constantly told that “following the science” was essential to reduce morbidity and mortality from Covid-19, but as more and more countries publish reports assessing their pandemic responses, it is increasingly looking like one of the most disruptive pandemic measures — extended school closures — were driven more by “the politics” than “the science.”

Yesterday, an independent report — “Fault Lines” — assessing Australia’s pandemic response was released and didn’t mince words. The report said it was “wrong to close entire school systems” and noted that “many pre-pandemic plans recommended that schools remain open.” Why, then, were schools shuttered across Australia? According to the authors: politics.

Politics weakened the National Cabinet’s effectiveness over time. State leaders insisted on going their own way, emboldened by their constitutional prerogatives. Tough action on COVID-19, including the decision to close schools, was judged politically popular by many state leaders. Until that popularity subsided and such policies were relaxed.

Fault Lines: An independent review into Australia’s response to Covid-19

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Anthony LaMesa
Anthony LaMesa

Written by Anthony LaMesa

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