‘Ridiculous and heavy-handed coronavirus policing’ will incur public resistance

Sky News host Chris Kenny says the “over the top policing” of strict social distancing measures will not significantly aid the push to flatten the coronavirus curve in Australia.

“I first told you there were tentative signs of a flattening curve 10 days ago, and since the evidence has become strong and clear,” Mr Kenny said.

“Shutting pubs and restaurants, banning crowd events, having people work from home, banning overseas visitors and putting those coming home into isolation … that's what's worked and good on us for delivering it”.

However, he said now is the time to “get more strident about some of the overreach” which is occurring across Australia in relation to strict social distancing measures.

He said it was “unnecessary” to push for a rush for schools to be shut while the “ridiculous situation” has arisen of beaches being closed in parts of New South Wales but open in others.

“This stuff is over the top”.

“It is over the top policing that obviously can add little if anything to the downward pressure on infections and could even be counterproductive by building up our resistance, not to the disease but to the social distancing measures”.