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Editor's note
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With federal cabinet due to meet today, in just a few hours we might have a clearer picture of our path out of lockdown. It’s been a long road, and we’re certainly not at the end yet. But with the curve flattened, a gradual easing of restrictions is on the table.
Our next moves are important, because as Adrian Esterman writes today, if Australia and New Zealand continue this downward trend of new cases, we’ve got a very real chance of eliminating coronavirus down the track.
But even if we do achieve elimination in our region, we’ll have to continue with public health interventions like surveillance testing and border controls to ensure COVID-19 doesn’t come back. Because it’s near impossible we’ll be able to eradicate coronavirus – that is, to see zero incidence worldwide.
To achieve eradication, we’d need effective prevention, like a vaccine, and effective treatment – alongside sustained global public health efforts to navigate other challenges. In fact, only two infectious diseases have been declared eradicated by the World Health Organisation in history.
For now, let’s see what today brings.
And a sincere thank you to everyone who has made a donation as part of our annual reader campaign, which kicked off this week. We are humbled to know so many of you value us enough to give a donation, especially in these uncertain times. Your support makes a big difference. Thank you.
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Phoebe Roth
Deputy Editor, Health+Medicine
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Top stories
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Shutterstock
Adrian Esterman, University of South Australia
Australia and New Zealand have well and truly 'flattened the curve', and there is now a real chance we could eliminate coronavirus in both countries. But what does elimination actually mean?
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Protest at Parliament House in Canberra, May 8 1970.
National Museum of Australia
Paul Strangio, Monash University
Labor's Jim Cairns was a vital leader against the war, typified by the May 1970 demonstrations. No politician since has played such a strong campaigning role.
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Brendan Esposito/AAP
Georgia Warren-Myers, University of Melbourne; Erika Bartak, University of Melbourne; Lucy Cradduck, Queensland University of Technology
Builders compete for customers by touting the features of their homes. Some builders promote 'six-star' home energy ratings in ways that could mislead consumers and breach Australian Consumer Law.
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www.shutterstock.com
Ilan Noy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Previous shocks show that smart spending and building public confidence are crucial to the speed and shape of economic recovery.
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Business + Economy
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Neil Bailey, Monash University
A funeral service in Brescia, northern Italy on May 4 for COVID-19.
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
As parliament sits next week, 75-77 MPs will be permitted in the chamber at one time, as Australia experiences an especially politically distant parliament.
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Timothy W. Jones, La Trobe University
Pell said after his acquittal he would 'be very surprised if there’s any bad findings' in the redacted portions of the royal commission report. This is not the case.
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Ari Larissa Heinrich, Australian National University
Over 200 years ago, a French Jesuit missionary wrote an essay criticising China's handling of smallpox. The reality, though, was China was light years ahead of the world in confronting the disease.
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Science + Technology
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Sharon Bessell, Australian National University; Angie Bexley, Australian National University
With no place to wash hands and nowhere to physically isolate, many poor Indonesians are incredibly vulnerable as COVID-19 sweeps through the global south.
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James Jin Kang, Edith Cowan University; Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University
From conflicts with specialised medical devices, through to unresolved problems with iPhone functionality, COVIDSafe is in need of updates. A major one may come within the next few weeks.
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Arts + Culture
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Simon Weaving, University of Newcastle
From Greta Garbo to Gwyneth Paltrow, the screen cough is reliably fatal. But this film and television favourite walks a fine line between suspense and comedy.
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Caroline Wake, UNSW
Carriageworks did everything right but was struggling even in regular conditions. Now the organisation's troubles are emblematic of an arts sector on the edge – but there might be a brighter future.
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Health + Medicine
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Danny Kingsley, Australian National University
The number of preliminary or unsubstantiated treatments or risk factors for the coronavirus is increasing. Here's one reason why.
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Environment + Energy
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Anna Skarbek, Monash University
Climate action is a vital protection against further global shocks, especially as governments plan their post-pandemic stimulus packages.
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Featured jobs
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— Canberra ACT, Australia
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Featured Events & Courses
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Level 21, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007, Australia — University of Technology Sydney
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Melbourne (Venue TBC), Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia — Australia New Zealand School of Government
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Online webinar, Perth, Western Australia, 6027, Australia — Edith Cowan University
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Online webinar, Perth, Western Australia, 6027, Australia — Edith Cowan University
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