Open Letter to Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority (SMA) 

TO:

Adelaide Oval SMA Board

Adelaide Oval SMA Chief Executive Officer 

Mask mandates. Social distancing. Vaccine passports. Three phrases none of us were familiar with two years ago. Is there anyone in Australia who is now not familiar with all those phrases and what they mean?

Although the government did not mandate vaccine passports for non-government businesses, some businesses chose to implement them anyway. SMA is one of those companies. I can understand that SMA feels the need to want to protect not only its employees and contractors, but also its patrons. Vaccine passports are seen as a way to do this. However, they are not. They don’t work.

Hanging Its Hat On The Coathook Of Vaccines

The SA government and its health department (as with all States in Australia) has hung its hat on the coathook of vaccines to end the current pandemic. Messaging from Steven Marshall and Nicola Spurrier in press releases, press conferences and advertising has been consistent and insistent that vaccines are the way out of the pandemic, evidence to the contrary. Nicola Spurrier even referred to “the danger that the unvaccinated pose to the vaccinated,” in a press conference last year. She was neither the first, nor the last official to use that phrase in order to help create a false divide and coerce people to get vaccinated.

Even before that press conference in which Spurrier first used the phrase, it was a fallacy. If the vaccines work as they are supposed to, the vaccinated are protected and the vaccine-free pose no risk to them. However, they don’t work as we were all assured they would.

Another study, published in The Lancet in January of this year, shows that there is no significant difference in community transmission between the vaccinated and the vaccine-free. (Ref 2)

While still pushing hard for vaccination, health departments around the country acknowledge that they do not prevent infection or transmission, even with boosters.

One doesn’t need studies to recognize this. All one needs to do is look at SA government’s own data. (Ref 3)

There were essentially no cases of Covid-19 in the state when the borders were opened to fully vaccinated people on 23rd November. Almost immediately, cases began appearing. Before the end of the year, more than 1,000 cases per day were being reported. It hasn’t dropped below that figure yet, and has been as high as more than 5,000 cases in a single day.

That explosion of infections had to have been started by fully vaccinated people. The vast majority of cases are close contact/locally acquired. With a vaccination rate in the state now exceeding 90%, there can be no doubt that the vaccinated are continuing spreading the disease.

If people wish to use these vaccines in order to get any protection they may provide, they are free to do so. However, even a 100% vaccination rate will not stop infection or transmission, as has been proven in Gibraltar.

Moreover, it is also recognized that as the SARS CoV-2 virus is spread via aerosol, the major risk of becoming infected lies indoors. Outdoor events pose little risk.

Just to be clear, vaccine passports mean an invasion of each individual’s medical privacy and discrimination against a sector of society without benefit to the rest of society.

From the Adelaide Oval website:

“We are making this announcement now to provide everyone attending Adelaide Oval with maximum confidence that they are entering a very COVID safe environment.

“Having carefully analysed the TTIQ model and the new testing and quarantine requirements, we believe this is the only way we can minimise the risk for our staff, our patrons, and our business.”

This statement made by Mr Andrews on 18th November was undoubtedly made in good faith. It is obvious now that the decision will not make Adelaide Oval a COVID safe environment.

“This practice is becoming increasingly common at major event venues in Australia and around the world.

“As the heart of sport, major events and functions in the State, we believe we have a responsibility to lead.”

The practice of discrimination demonstrates that SMA was following, not leading. If SMA truly believe they have a responsibility to lead, they now have a perfect opportunity to do so.

End Vaccine Passports At Adelaide Oval

Given that:

• there is undisputed evidence that vaccination will not stop infection or transmission of the virus,
• health departments around the country and the world acknowledge that vaccination will not stop infection or transmission of the virus, and
• outdoor events are not drivers of transmission,

there is no valid excuse for maintaining the exclusion of vaccine-free individuals from events at Adelaide Oval.

I urge SMA to review its decision and respectfully request it revoke its ban on vaccine-free individuals from attending events at Adelaide Oval.

Sincerely,
Tim Ellis