Dear Mr Andrews,

It is now clear that the federal government are unwilling to face the overwhelming reality of what is required in order to stem the infection rates of COVID 19 and ensure our already underfunded hospital sector can manage.

I am extremely disappointed at the decision to not only keep schools open but Scott Morrison decision to encourage parents to continue to send their children under the false claim that it will help flatten the curve to have children attending school.

I trust that as someone who has regularly cited expert advice from relevant professionals you are able and willing to concede that this policy direction is madness. I have attached a range of resources and links to the best of scientific research, observation and opinion that is united in its view that voluntarily closing schools is one of the best interventions possible at this crucial stage of pandemic outbreak. The world's best and brightest are clear: we must act decisively, without fear and be guided by the facts.

I call on your government to break with the federal government's approach and move immediately to close all Victorian schools to ensure the health of the most vulnerable members of our community, teachers and healthcare workers. I call on you to display the bold and creative leadership that is necessary to guide your state and country through this incredibly uncertain and devastating time.

The current approach to treating this as a primarily economic problem and one that can be solved with a "business as usual" approach in order to prop up the economy is both short-sighted and hubristic in light of the current advice. I'm confident it will be a matter of days and not weeks before it becomes clear that this approach is not only woefully unsuitable but reprehensible in light of the chaos it will wreak. This is set to become a point that we reflect on as a time when we should and could have made a real difference and didn't.

Now is the time to turn the economic focus to supporting those who face financial hardship as a result of engaging in medical best practice and develop relief and support strategies in order to ensure that workers, small businesses and companies affected will be able to remain open, retain their staff, and stay financially solvent.

So many of our vulnerable Australians are at risk. Closing schools is the first step. Please don't wait,

Sincerely,

Carly Reggars

Links: https://www.bostonglobe.com/…/coronavirus-cautionary-tale…/

https://www.sciencemag.org/…/does-closing-schools-slow-spre

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/2…/world/corona-simulator/