In a social media post, an Indian doctor pointed out the harsh reality that coronavirus has brought into the limelight. Dr Jagadish J Hiremath rightly pointed out that “Social distancing is a privilege. It means you live in a house large enough to practice it. Hand washing is a privilege too. It means you have access to running water. Hand sanitizers are a privilege. It means you have money to buy them.” The poor, the downtrodden and the underprivileged of our society do not have the means nor the money required to fulfil these necessary actions. Therefore as coronavirus spreads rapidly across the masses without discrimination, there arises a need to protect and safeguard those less fortunate than us. Australia is leading the way to showcase that the parameters we set based on money, is but an imaginary line.
What’s In It?
The West Australian Government has plans of accommodating the homeless people living on the streets into five-star hotels to control the spread of coronavirus. These people will be checked in at the Pan Pacific hotel in Perth under the ‘Hotels with Heart’ pilot. The Perth Now reports that 20 of the most at-risk homeless persons will be moved under a trail program to protect them and the community from coronavirus. It is a big gesture from the government considering that Perth’s Pan Pacific hotel charges $170 to $260() a night. This program could also expand to accommodate other people including domestic violence victims, mental health patients if this initiative is successful. It would then use 120 rooms in the hotel.
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What’s More?
Currently, there are over 4,800 cases in Australia with deaths around 20. Western Australia has 355 confirmed cases. The government recognizes that such high numbers would have an adverse effect on the population. Addressing the media, the Community Services Minister Simone McGurk mentions “The Hotels with Heart pilot learns from similar initiatives happening interstate and around the world, including in the United Kingdom, America, and Canada,” she said. Ms McGurk also thanked the Pan Pacific Perth for stepping up during this crisis. She further added, “With the help of community service organizations, 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”. This is a wonderful initiative by Australia, we do hope other governments will also look after the underprivileged and help them during this time of crisis. Here is The World’s Only Place To Be Unaffected And Immune To Coronavirus