Like its economy, which had gone nearly 30 years without a recession, Australia seemed to have cracked the Covid code. The trouble began in Melbourne, where far-left Labor Premier Daniel Andrews leads the state government. While this was managed well in most of the country, the Andrews government put private security contractors in charge of the hotels in Victoria. Australian media reported that the private contractors had recruited inexperienced guards via WhatsApp chat groups. Some were caught sleeping on the job and may have had sex with the returned travelers they were supposed to be guarding.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 17, 2020 23:03 UTC