Five years ago, during March and April 2020, doctors in Milan were having to choose who would receive ventilation and therefore who would live and die as Italy’s health system was overwhelmed by COVID-19 deaths. In New York City, officials were burying many of the dead from COVID-19 in mass unmarked graves on Hart Island. And in early April of 2020, 950 people died of the virus in a single day in Spain. Closer to home, losses in China, Korea and Iran were even more devastating and terrifying.

Against that background, it is important to remember that while all countries in the world, including Australia, were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with immense suffering and human loss, few countries responded and achieved the twin objectives of limiting loss of life and maintaining livelihoods more effectively than Australia.