Did you know that today marks one year since gatherings of more than 500 people were prohibited? Take a look at our timeline and find out what else was happening this time last year.
As part of a research report we're releasing later this week, the COSBOA team compiled state and federal government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic into a timeline. This includes measures to stop the spread of the virus as well as assistance measures for individuals and (of course) small business owners. Sometimes memory can be faulty and we forget what order things really happened in, or we forget who did what. When did hotel quarantine start? Was it before or after they announced JobKeeper? Which state border closed first? This timeline sets it all out for you.
One year ago it all felt like a blur for many of us. We were overwhelmed, being bombarded with announcements of new restrictions and new assistance measures almost every day. We were also being bombarded with distressing news from overseas. Many of us were feeling scared about our health, our livelihoods, and those of our friends and family.
As you read the timeline, we invite you to add your own personal experiences to it. For example, an important personal memory for our CEO is when his mother's 90th birthday celebrations got cancelled in March and his family had to get together virtually. Maybe you remember the day you found out that a particular event you were looking forward to got cancelled - or maybe you were relying on that event to make an income. Maybe you remember having to stand down some of your staff, maybe you remember having to cancel a trip, or maybe you know someone who actually caught the virus.
Read through the other months of the year here.
Now a bit about the report, The Small Business Perspective:
During January and February, the team at COSBOA was busy undertaking research into what industry association leaders thought about Australian government responses to COVID-19. We surveyed and interviewed our association members to find out what they thought about initiatives to stop the spread of the virus (such as closing borders and restricting the size of gatherings), as well as what they thought about small business assistance measures like JobKeeper and the Cashflow Boost. The report is accompanied by research into what other sources have said about Australia's responses to the pandemic, and, most importantly, an analysis of what we can learn from all of this. You'll see the full report later this week.