US media makes Dan Andrews a hero
Опубликованно 23.09.2020 03:25
But vindication for imposing some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the world is beginning to flow as new case numbers remain low and steady, while new polling reveals a groundswell of support for the Labor leader.
And the world is beginning to notice as a CNN report declared Mr Andrews’ strict shutdown the blueprint to containing the deadly coronavirus.
RELATED: Latest coronavirus news
Support is suddenly mounting for the Victorian leader. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie
RELATED: Journalist targeted after press conference
The support from the US-based media giant comes as Victoria recorded 28 new cases on Tuesday, a slight increase on recent numbers but well below the more than 700 cases of six weeks ago.
It said policy makers and critics were sceptical of the strict lockdown approach originally adopted at the source of the pandemic’s outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
The support from CNN also lands a blow to the strategy in the US which has been reluctant to persevere with widespread lockdowns despite the number of people killed from the virus edging towards 200,000.
“The situation in Victoria proves that the lockdown strategy does work elsewhere, and that, given the proper information and reassurances, people are willing to make the sacrifices required to contain the virus,” the CNN piece declared.
The story leans on comments from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou who said the strategy had been successfully adopted to suppress a number of outbreaks across the eastern superpower.
“The COVID-19 epidemic in our country has gone through four waves,” he said on the weekend.
“Besides the first wave (in Wuhan), the other epidemic waves were clusters that were regional and small-scale and were effectively controlled.”
The reinforcement comes as the The Australian’s Newspoll showed 62 per cent of Victorian voters backed the premier’s handling of the health crisis despite failures of hotel quarantine being responsible for much of the state’s cases.
Separately, 61 per cent of voters around Australia, including 57 per cent of Coalition voters, said the restrictions, which have locked Victorians at home, were appropriate.
The CNN perspective also comes as a rare glimmer of positivity from the major media outlets following The Washington Post last week labelling Mr Andrews a “dictator”.
Last Tuesday’s print edition featured a photograph of heavily armed Victoria Police officers in riot gear among the fruit and vegetable stalls at the Queen Victoria Market.
The image was accompanied by the headline: “Australia’s virus ‘dictator’ still wins hearts.”
Australia’s virus “dictator”. Victorian Premier ?@DanielAndrewsMP? makes it into the ?Washington Post today for his strict lockdown rules. pic.twitter.com/OckJ1JJ4HQ— Kathryn Diss (@KathrynDiss) September 16, 2020
Premier Daniel Andrews not impressed with @washingtonpost calling him Dictator Dan but said he doesn’t read that publication. Says he’s not interested in “name calling”. #COVID19Vic
Категория: Новости
