Coronavirus - Australia
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Perth & Peel region in 4 day lockdown, because of 3 cases.
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and a big welcome to parts of QLD that have also joined us in lockdown..wow
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@bayimports said in Coronavirus - Australia:
and a big welcome to parts of QLD that have also joined us in lockdown..wow
Based on two community cases. It's a competition for which State leader is the most insane.
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@antipodean I've got a nomination. SA.
No cases for literally months.
New restrictions for 4 days:
Masks at hospitals and nursing homes
Private gatherings capped at 150 ( previously unlimited)
No buffets
No dancing or singing
Drinking sitting down
No outside dining.Ok, not too bad given the current environment, but;
How do you measure the effectiveness of this legislation?
After 4 days, no covid. What have you learned?
After 4 days, some covid. What have you learned?Restrictions with no cases to begin with and no outcome in mind.🤔
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i can get him head around masks just being a thing for hospitals and nursing homes...just in general, those people are all sick to start with
...the no outside dining is weird, i thought we started dining outside because it was better than inside for social distancing and airflow and stuff
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Only one premier is treating you like an adult
Gladys Berejiklian wants to have a conversation about living with COVID-19. Daniel Andrews and Annastacia Palaszczuk want the international borders shut even tighter.Aaron PatrickSenior correspondent
Jun 29, 2021 – 2.42pmWinter’s NSW-Victoria pandemic role reversal appears to have done what politics couldn’t: accelerate one of the world’s slowest vaccination programs.
But the philosophical perspectives of the two most powerful political leaders in terms of influence over Australians’ COVID-19 lives hasn’t changed.
While the NSW government failed this time to live up to its reputation of being able to preserve life and liberty, at least it is treating the state like an adult. David Rowe
On Tuesday morning, Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews talked darkly about being compelled to lockdown his traumatised state for a fifth time if the delta COVID-19 variant weaseled its way in.
In Sydney, where the fight against delta is not yet won or lost, Premier Gladys Berejiklian offered something business leaders and many others are desperate for from their leaders: hope.
Instead of joining Andrews and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in undermining public support for a quarantine program that has safely brought home more than 200,000 Australian citizens and permanent residents, Berejiklian urged society to begin thinking and talking about how to manage the coronavirus once most people are vaccinated.
“COVID-19 might be around for a long time,” she said. “You do need to look at what life looks like [after the current outbreak] because what we want to do is to prevent ever having to go into lockdown ever again.”
Berejiklian didn’t explicitly suggest, unlike notable academic economist Richard Holden on Monday, that health authorities should cease trying to stop COVID-19 circulating once a form a herd immunity is reached.
But she said NSW could get to what she called “COVID normal” after some 80 per cent of the population was vaccinated.
They sound like similar positions, and would mark a seminal development in Australian pandemic policy. International borders could open and lockdowns would presumably cease. People would die, too, because the vaccines aren’t perfect.
The easiest way for any premier to deflect blame
Andrews and Palaszczuk also want their citizens vaccinated as quickly as possible. But rather than prepare the public for a truce with the virus, the Labor leaders on Tuesday played to anti-Canberra sentiment – the easiest way for any premier to deflect blame.Andrews, challenged by ABC radio journalist Virginia Trioli, said hotels should not be used to shelter people from overseas, a self-serving position given the disastrous failure of Victoria’s quarantine system last year.
“Compare a lockdown of a whole city, or a whole state, and the pain of that versus halving or reducing by 75 per cent or 80 per cent the number of people coming back through hotel quarantine,” he said. “In my judgment, there is no comparison.”
On Tuesday, in response to two extra community infections, Palaszczuk shut part of her state for three days – a measure NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant earlier said wasn’t useful for stop the virus’s spread.
Palaszczuk pushed the federal government to tighten the almost-sealed international borders too, complaining the state of five million can’t cope with an extra 150 people a day.
“We need a massive reduction in overseas arrivals,” she said. “The reason why we’re having lockdowns in major cities is because the overseas arrivals are bringing the virus here. They’re going to hotels and all of our staff are having to deal with it.”
In politics, there are considered two ways to motivate voters: fear or hope. Until Australians are assured by political leaders that life and the coronavirus can co-exist, support for draconian public heath restrictions will remain high.
While the NSW government failed this time to live up to its reputation of being able to preserve life and liberty, at least it is treating the state like an adult.
There are no horror stories, people are being encouraged to use common sense and there are the hints the unofficial eradication policy should end.
Berejiklian has shown through the pandemic that she has strong leadership qualities. On Tuesday another was on display: a reluctance to publicly blame others.
“We very much feel we are in control of what is happening,” she said.
Aaron Patrick is the senior correspondent. He writes about politics and business. Connect with Aaron on Twitter. Email Aaron at apatrick@afr.com
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I really feel sorry for you guys.
I thought our mob were imbecilic amateurs but compared with your mob they're Nobel Prize Winners.
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@mikethesnow said in Coronavirus - Australia:
I really feel sorry for you guys.
I thought our mob were imbecilic amateurs but compared with your mob they're Nobel Prize Winners.
Not sure I agree with that. The decision has ben made for zero covid. If you want to maintain zero covid you have no choice other than to do city / state lockdowns every single time you have one single case. I'd say they are managing the situation perfectly for zero covid.
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@kiwiwomble said in Coronavirus - Australia:
i can get him head around masks just being a thing for hospitals and nursing homes...just in general, those people are all sick to start with
...the no outside dining is weird, i thought we started dining outside because it was better than inside for social distancing and airflow and stuff
Agree mate except for this scenario:
Restrictions for 4 days and no further covid.
What, exactly has been achieved?
Other than unnecessary loss of commerce, earnings and customers. Anxiety and disenfranchising all residents (nobody i speak to thinks it's a good idea).Could be the dumbest covid move ever: mini lockdown for zero cases after 5 months of zero cases🤔
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@majorrage said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@mikethesnow said in Coronavirus - Australia:
I really feel sorry for you guys.
I thought our mob were imbecilic amateurs but compared with your mob they're Nobel Prize Winners.
Not sure I agree with that. The decision has ben made for zero covid. If you want to maintain zero covid you have no choice other than to do city / state lockdowns every single time you have one single case. I'd say they are managing the situation perfectly for zero covid.
Zero Covid is not a long term strategy
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@siam @MajorRage Australia is not officially targeting zero covid, has never been. Certain State officials maybe, but never an Federal goal.
We are just flattening the curve!
Really fucking flattening it.
Did you guys know we have someone in ICU right now? A person!!!
Just the 1 mind, but still, can't be too careful.
I feel like I've beaten this drum too many times, I can't do it again. At some point the politicians will have to be honest with the public and admit that we have to live with this thing. But that day hasn't come yet.
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@siam @MajorRage Australia is not officially targeting zero covid, has never been. Certain State officials maybe, but never an Federal goal.
We are just flattening the curve!
Really fucking flattening it.
Did you guys know we have someone in ICU right now? A person!!!
Just the 1 mind, but still, can't be too careful.
I feel like I've beaten this drum too many times, I can't do it again. At some point the politicians will have to be honest with the puband admit that we have to live with this thing. But that day hasn't come yet.
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but Australia is clearly officially targeting zero covid.
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@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@majorrage we can debate your assertion in person over a beer, in 2024.
That's optimistic.
Look on the bright side - Aus is a great place to live, visit, holiday and relax. Bit shit for ski'ing but such is life.
Blighty ... we need planes man, we need our overseas holidays!!!
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@majorrage said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@voodoo said in Coronavirus - Australia:
@majorrage we can debate your assertion in person over a beer, in 2024.
That's optimistic.
Look on the bright side - Aus is a great place to live, visit, holiday and relax. Bit shit for ski'ing but such is life.
Blighty ... we need planes man, we need our overseas holidays!!!
Blighty has shit skiing too
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@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - Australia:
oh god the lolz
that mine worker that tested positive and put the shits up everyone and got everyone locked down at the mine? He travelled to the NT via Brisbane. Qld health stuck him in hotel quarantine
WHERE HE CAUGHT COVID THAT HE THNE SPREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A healthy man, put in to quarantine because of a state government's policy around people from a certain part of the country, fucking cause a heap of this!!
I can't be the only one to find that infuriating in its stupidity
I see your story, and raise you this:
Covid-19: Queensland virus ward worker not vaccinated
An unvaccinated receptionist who contracted Covid-19 after being stationed outside the isolation ward of a Brisbane hospital was visibly sick at work for two days before she flew to Townsville on holiday, potentially seeding an outbreak in both cities.
The containment breach triggered the lockdown of 3.8 million people in the Queensland capital, the holiday destinations of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Townsville and the Indigenous community of Palm Island as three of the 19-year-old woman’s close contacts, including her younger brother, fell ill.
The concern spiked when it was revealed late on Tuesday she had the more contagious Delta variant of the virus.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s bid to shift blame to the federal government was undercut by the revelation that the woman, a casual employee of Prince Charles Hospital on Brisbane’s northside, had not been vaccinated despite a directive three months ago for staff exposed to Covid patients to have the jab.This followed the infection of two nurses and a doctor at the 1000-bed Princess Alexandra Hospital, Covid control blunders that forced Greater Brisbane into a three-day lockdown ahead of Easter, at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to the Queensland economy.
The spectre of another set of school holidays being disrupted provoked dismay and bewilderment as an “absolutely furious” Ms Palaszczuk ordered an investigation into how the receptionist had been in such proximity to the Covid ward when unvaccinated.Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union secretary Beth Mohle said: “I was shocked to hear that had occurred. We have to really examine the system failure here, ask questions about how this has occurred and what lessons can we learn.
“We are in a very dangerous situation right now, the whole country. We need to be taking a well-thought-out approach to manage the risk appropriately.”
Cairns-based Coalition MP Warren Entsch said Ms Palaszczuk could not escape responsibility for a second hospital failure. “It beggars belief that her own health workers are not vaccinated, whether they are working beside a Covid ward or not,” Mr Entsch said.
Liberal National Party spokeswoman Ros Bates said: “It is not rocket science. We are supposed to be vaccinating people on the frontline first and you can’t get more frontline than a hospital. If you are working right outside a Covid ward, you are still going to be exposed to all of the people walking in and out of there.”
The infected woman, from bayside Sandgate, is feared to have been contagious for up to 10 days while out and about in Brisbane and Townsville before she tested positive on Tuesday.
She developed symptoms on June 21 and was showing “clear signs” of illness when she reported for duty at the entrance of the Covid ward on June 22 and 23, The Australian has been told.Yet none of the medical personnel who would have walked past her desk is known to have queried this. Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said the woman interacted with at least two other “concierge workers” and a hospital janitor, all of whom were now in isolation.
Last Thursday, the woman boarded Virgin Australia flight VA369 from Brisbane to Townsville with family members. Her brother has tested positive, while another relative she lives with and a close friend are ill.
On landing in Townsville, the woman travelled to nearby Magnetic Island, staying three nights with the family party. She visited a community market in Townsville last Sunday before flying back to Brisbane on Virgin flight VA374, Dr Young said.
The CHO urged all 2000-plus residents of the island and those who attended the market or were on the affected Virgin services to come forward for testing.
The woman had a Covid swab on Monday. By then, she had a “range of symptoms”, according to a state government source.
In a circular to parents overnight, St Patrick College Shorncliffe principal Chris Mayes said Queensland Health had revealed a male student, the brother of the receptionist, had tested positive to Covid. “He is in good spirits, though unwell and is being isolated in hospital,” the email said. “He was not at school during the probable transmission period but was part of the tennis co-curricular program on Monday, which was during that time.”Tourism operators are calling for federal government support, with reports the latest two-week lockdown of Greater Sydney them billions.
Announcing the snap lockdown that came into force at 6pm on Tuesday, Ms Palaszczuk did not hide her anger at the woman’s infection at work. “Despite the health directives that she should have been vaccinated, she was not … I am absolutely furious about this,” she said. “This leaves us with no option. There will be a lockdown for three days and I don’t want it to be 30 days. I know this is going to be tough for a lot of families. I apologise for that but I don’t want to see people end up in our hospital on ventilators.”
Figures released by Queensland Health show that thousands of hospital workers likely remain unvaccinated. While 57,000 staff, including frontline doctors and nurses, had received two doses from the agency, this represented only two-thirds of the workforce. It was possible that many of those outstanding had sought out the vaccine independently.
Princess Alexandra executive director Tami Photinos said the receptionist’s role meant she was “predominantly exposed to staff rather than patients and visitors”.
Queensland is grappling with Covid outbreaks on multiple fronts, including two fly-in-fly-out miners who tested positive at Ipswich and on the Sunshine Coast, part of the cluster that forced lockdowns in Darwin and Perth. A cabin attendant linked to the Bondi cluster of Delta cases in NSW was infectious when she worked on Virgin flights to and from Queensland last Friday and Saturday. A separate outbreak centres on a Portuguese aircrew member with the Alpha or UK variant of the virus who unwittingly spread it to a number of people in the local community. -
that is an astounding failure. on so many levels.
somehow the State Government will point the finger at the Feds.
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As a small, but clear example of the shit i tend to rant about, check out this story
Some rando from Newcastle sent a letter the NSW Premier and the Prime Minister about the access to vaccines in his area.
He received a letter back from both saying it was the others' responsibility, and they should contact them
That defies belief.
BUT, they have created this system where it's plausible. The vaccine rollout is the remit of the Federal Government. Except the Health departments are all State run. How in the fuck is this supposed to work?? A perfect circle of buck-passing while nothing gets better. I hate the political class with an absolute passion.
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@mariner4life said in Coronavirus - Australia:
As a small, but clear example of the shit i tend to rant about, check out this story
Some rando from Newcastle sent a letter the NSW Premier and the Prime Minister about the access to vaccines in his area.
He received a letter back from both saying it was the others' responsibility, and they should contact them
That defies belief.
BUT, they have created this system where it's plausible. The vaccine rollout is the remit of the Federal Government. Except the Health departments are all State run. How in the fuck is this supposed to work?? A perfect circle of buck-passing while nothing gets better. I hate the political class with an absolute passion.
The state/ Federal government system does no one any favours in terms of getting on the same page to meet a challenge like covid19