COVID Elimination Strategy Could Cost Australia $319 Billion

COVID Elimination Strategy Could Cost Australia $319 Billion
Riot police clear Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market of anti-lockdown protesters during a rally on Sept. 13, 2020. William West/AFP via Getty Images
Daniel Y. Teng
Updated:

Economic modelling by Melbourne-based Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has found COVID-19 elimination strategies in Australia could cost the country $319 billion, or 23 percent of national GDP from this year until 2022.

The cost of eliminating the virus via harsh lockdowns is 2.2 times the total annual value of the Australian government’s 2018-19 spending on defence, education, health, and welfare combined.

Daniel Y. Teng
Daniel Y. Teng
Writer
Daniel Y. Teng is based in Brisbane, Australia. He focuses on national affairs, including federal politics and Australia-China relations. Got a tip? Contact him at [email protected].
twitter
Related Topics