Australia's Homeless People Are Being Checked Into Five-Star Hotels To Stop COVID-19 Spread
The coronavirus pandemic has brought each and every country to its heels with the lockdown. But a more worrying scenario posed by the lockdown is that of the poor and the underprivileged. In a bid to undo the privileged lockdown the Australian government authorities are taking steps to safeguard the homeless on the streets. 20 of the most at-risk homeless people are being moved into a five-star CBD hotel under a trial program aimed at protecting ...Read More
The coronavirus pandemic has brought each and every country to its heels with the lockdown. But a more worrying scenario posed by the lockdown is that of the poor and the underprivileged.
EPA
As pointed out by an Indian doctor, 'Social distancing is a privilege. It means you live in a house large enough to practise it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to running water. Hand sanitisers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them.'
Social distancing is a privilege.
¡ª ??? Dr Jagadish J Hiremath ?? (@Kaalateetham) March 23, 2020
It means you live in a house large enough to practise it.
Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to running water.
Hand sanitisers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them.
'In essence, a disease that was spread by the rich as they flew around the globe will now kill millions of the poor,' he writes.
This argument holds true for poor people across the world caught in the lockdown, while their lives were already a challenge, the coronavirus pandemic has made things ten times worse.
In a bid to undo the 'privileged lockdown' the Australian government authorities are taking steps to safeguard the homeless on the streets.
According to a Perth Now report, 20 of the most at-risk homeless people are being moved into a five-star CBD hotel under a trial program aimed at protecting them and the community from the spread of coronavirus.
Twitter/Picture For Representation
The West Australian Government is planning to accommodate homeless people at the Pan Pacific hotel in Perth for the 'Hotels with Heart' pilot.
A Mail Online report states that starting price for accommodation at Perth's Pan Pacific hotel is Rs 12,812 a night at the Deluxe Room, with the most expensive rooms costing Rs 19,594 a night.
Perth Community Services Minister Simone McGurk said, 'With the help of community service organisations, this initiative will take the pressure off the health system in Western Australia and potentially help to flatten the curve as the State fights to stop the spread of COVID-19,' she said. 'The Hotels with Heart pilot also aims to sustain our hotel sector for when the COVID?19 threat is eliminated.'
Australia has had nearly 4,000 infections and 19 deaths so far, According to Reuters, Health Minister Greg Hunt reported there were about 4,400 coronavirus cases nationally, with the rate of growth in new infections slowing to an average of 9% over the past three days from 25-30% a week ago.
