The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has urged state and federal governments to adopt a smarter and nationally consistent approach to lockdowns, warning that 100 days of restrictions at current levels would not only push the economy into a recession but also impact Aussies mental health and social cohesion. The call from the peak body of the nation’s largest employers comes on the heels of the latest snap lockdowns in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and is made after the BCA commissioned modelling by Ernst & Young (EY) that indicates outbreaks could be handled in a targeted and predictable way. The EY analysis estimates that lockdowns in the three states cost Australia $2.8 billion (US$2.o7 billion) per week, with the restrictions in Greater Sydney accounting for two-thirds of the costs at $257 million (US$190 million) a day. It also suggests that partially reopening construction in the city would …