Sydney’s recent COVD-19 outbreak mobilised many state and non-state actors to support and surveil communities. This presentation reflects public discourse about health and policing during a syndemic, from the perspective of someone working in the health system during this current outbreak.
Paper long abstract
Neoliberal rollback of the welfare state has been challenged by the needs of people when a ‘lockdown’ occurs; a measure intended to stem the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and protect the community as a whole. Sydney’s recent outbreak mobilised many state and non-state actors to support and surveil communities. This short presentation is to provoke discussion around the state during this syndemic. It will consider public discourse about health and policing, from the perspective of someone working in the health system and mobilised during this current outbreak.