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The world is greatly surprised by Australia’s achievements in combating the pandemic and refers to Australia as the “hermit country.”

While the coronavirus continues to spread and cause chaos in many parts of the world, Australia in the southern hemisphere has successfully controlled the pandemic. Countries around the world are amazed by Australia’s achievements in fighting the virus. Overnight, news outlets from many countries published articles praising Australia for its tremendous success in controlling the pandemic.

They reported that it was the first day in 145 days in Australia without community transmission of the novel coronavirus. The New York Times published an article stating that Australians have now accepted the isolated life they have been trying to escape for a long time. Due to the strict COVID-19 restrictions currently in place in Australia, the country has essentially become a hermit nation once again. Australia’s current policies include border closures, and even within the mainland, some state borders remain closed.

The Australian people are now not opposed to the government’s implementation of strict border controls; instead, they are more willing to smile in front of the mirror. It seems that residing in Australia and other islands is a privilege during a time when the rest of the world is being ravaged by the pandemic. Business Insider, an American news and opinion website, stated that Australia has had an advantage over most countries globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Australia is a large island with a sparse population. Despite these advantages, Australia has implemented stricter COVID-19 control measures than many other countries worldwide.

In fact, many other countries have also cut off connections with neighboring countries, and other island nations such as Singapore, Japan, and New Zealand are also controlling the virus. However, in Australia, this increasingly smaller circle is intertwined with the pursuit of safety.

Australia’s COVID-19 death toll remains below 1,000. Schools and restaurants are open, sports are taking place, and friends are gathering for meals. However, people are still adhering to restrictions on movement within their designated areas, and many work activities are still conducted from home.

Australians believe that if many Australian citizens are still stranded abroad due to border restrictions, so be it. If states like Western Australia are determined to prevent anyone from entering Sydney and Melbourne for as long as possible, at least the virus has been subdued.

Many Australians are forced to live in a bubble-like environment, and they are beginning to appreciate their love for their country. The collective spirit, fresh food, and the beauty of beaches and small towns can rival or surpass the beauty of anywhere else in the world. While Australia has achieved great success in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, we are also witnessing a second wave of the virus hitting other regions globally, with a sharp increase in cases recently.

In the United States, it was reported today that there were a total of 99,321 new COVID-19 cases, marking the highest number of daily new cases in any country to date.

Compared to yesterday, this signifies an astonishing increase of nearly 11,000 new cases in the United States. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday the implementation of a second lockdown, and the total number of COVID-19 cases in the UK has surpassed one million. Across the sea, in France, there were also an additional 50,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday.

*Translated from The New York Times and news.com.au

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