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Australia's pandemic response, including prolonged lockdowns and school closures, was sharply criticised by Dr Nick Coatsworth, the former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, following the release of the Covid-19 Response Inquiry Report.

Former Australian Deputy Chief Medical Office during COVID @nick_coatsworth on the COVID inquiry findings & lack of evidence for COVID policies: "I don't think there's any evidence that the 5km rule or shutting down school playgrounds & so on & so forth or parks I should say.… pic.twitter.com/x4QWcRn1pC

— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) October 30, 2024

Dr Coatsworth expressed concern over state-imposed restrictions, particularly in Victoria, describing them as lacking in evidence and disproportionately affecting the public.

Dr Coatsworth told Daily Mail Australia, “You need to make your decisions evidence-based as much as the federal government does.” He questioned Victoria’s stringent measures, such as closed playgrounds and restrictions on public events, highlighting that they “persisted for a very long time into 2021” without sufficient evidence to support their necessity.

Australia's COVID inquiry has concluded there was human rights abuse caused by the state Premiers' COVID response.

When Dan Andrews was asked about the potential human rights abuse caused by his heavy handed response during COVID he responded: "Seriously? One more comment about… pic.twitter.com/NzwHTKguod

— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) October 29, 2024

The inquiry, led by Robyn Kruk, Professor Catherine Bennett, and Dr Angela Jackson, found that measures implemented under the Biosecurity Act failed to account for the broad social and economic impacts. The report suggested that a shift to a "risk-based approach grounded in evidence" could have alleviated some of the adverse outcomes, particularly in youth mental health.

A notable finding was that school closures, especially in Victoria, led to significant mental health struggles, with over 50% of Victorian children showing symptoms of depression, and a quarter experiencing anxiety.

How do Australian governments rebuild trust after tirades like this from the COVID tyrants?pic.twitter.com/tXuj0R0WxA

— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) October 29, 2024

Dr Coatsworth questioned the recent appointment of former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews as chair of youth mental health agency Orygen, stating, “If you were the board of Orygen, surely you should have known these statistics and thought twice about appointing the person responsible.”

Reflecting on vaccine mandates, Dr Coatsworth acknowledged the erosion of trust resulting from job losses linked to vaccine refusal, stating, "If we start by apologising to those affected, we can begin to rebuild trust.” The report also highlighted a rise in domestic violence during the lockdowns, an outcome Dr Coatsworth said was foreseeable.

Australia's inquiry into it's COVID response has found that the "heavy handed" tactics used during the pandemic have eroded trust & “many of the measures taken during Covid-19 are unlikely to be accepted by the population again." pic.twitter.com/YcupzqbEmg

— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) October 29, 2024

Despite the findings, Dr Coatsworth expressed no regret over his involvement, viewing the report as a “blueprint to regain trust.” He urged for open debate in future public health crises, “Let’s not cast slurs on people who have a different view.”

Meanwhile, former Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton acknowledged that he sometimes struggled to clearly communicate "complex public health advice" during the pandemic. Speaking to ABC Radio, Mr Sutton admitted, “Of course I did” when asked if his explanations were ever unclear.

He explained that in some cases, decisions were based on the “best guess” principle, relying on precautionary measures in the absence of concrete evidence. Sutton remarked, “Evidence changes all the time... sometimes you’re being careful in the absence of really, really clear evidence.”