Four newborn babies have died after they were denied lifesaving treatment due to coronavirus-related lockdown travel restrictions implemented by politicians in Australia.
“Four Newborns in Adelaide have died after being denied lifesaving heart surgery because it wasn’t available in Adelaide, and they couldn’t be transferred interstate because of travel restrictions,” reported 9News Australia.
Their deaths have sparked outrage from medical professionals in the area demanding change.
“Medical professionals in South Australia are calling for urgent action this morning following shocking revelations of the deaths of four babies,” said a 9News Australia anchor on-air, Tuesday. “The newborns were denied lifesaving heart surgery because it wasn’t available in Adelaide, and they couldn’t be transferred interstate because of travel restrictions.”
“Adelaide is the only capital city in mainland Australia that doesn’t have its own infant cardiac unit,” he noted.
“As one obstetrician said yesterday, ‘I shall leave it to you to image the profound effects of these deaths on the parents,'” the anchor added.
The lockdown measures in Australia have been particularly severe. For example, The Wall Street Journal noted Sunday that politicians in Victoria, which includes Melbourne, finally said they “would ease some of its harshest restrictions, such as forbidding people from leaving their homes for all but a handful of reasons and keeping offices and retail outlets mostly shut, after daily infections fell to just two from a peak of more than 700.”
The Guardian, on Monday, laid out travel restrictions pertaining to South Australia as follows:
South Australia – People from all states and territories except Victoria can enter South Australia without having to quarantine for 14 days so long as they haven’t been in Victoria in the past fortnight. South Australian residents will not be allowed to return to their state from Victoria unless they are essential travellers. Victorians living within 40kms of the SA border are allowed into the state for essential purposes only. They can not travel more than 40kms into SA and must have had a negative Covid-19 test in the last 7 days and complete a registration form.
According to the report, gatherings in private homes in South Australia are limited to 50 people, “including members of the household, as long the maximum density does not exceed one person per two square meters.”
In New South Wales, the restrictions are even more strict, per The Guardian: “On Sunday 19 July, the government issued advice asking people not to host, or go to, a gathering of more than 10 people at home. But the law in NSW currently allows 20 people from different households to visit. There is no limit to the number of guests you can have over per day, as long as there are no more than 20 at a time and guests can stay overnight. If there are more than 20 visitors at a home, every person can be held individually responsible for a breach of the public health order.”
WATCH:
Four Newborns in Adelaide have died after being denied lifesaving heart surgery because it wasn't available in Adelaide, and they couldn't be transferred interstate because of travel restrictions. #9News pic.twitter.com/IFZsv9kq4k
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) October 20, 2020