Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[lovetravellingoz]

... and I don't think we've mentioned Maitu Bush, described as general manager of Victoria’s COVID-19 Quarantine Infection Prevention and Control, who got suspended or stood aside for refusing COVID tests and breaching infection control protocols.

The breaches issue involving Maitu was discussed in the media back when he was originally stood down. And certainly Cassar was grilled by the media back at that the time.

Clearly what he was doing was wrong, and that was acknowledged at the time. Which was why he was stood down.

Infection control boss for hotel quarantine stood down after allegedly breaching own protocols

The general manager of infection control at the agency running Victoria's hotel quarantine program is stood down pending an investigation, after allegedly breaching their own protocols twice in the past two months.

www.abc.net.au

 

[drron]

It doesn't matter that it is secured in the car park.it has to be taken to the car park.there is a common stair well to the car park and residents report passing staff as well as in the stair well but when they are delivering the linen to the storage area.

Now earlier you were quoting the CHO on how this Delta variant has a shorter incubation and can be transmitted with fleeting contact.Interesting to know if anyone has thought of testing the apartment residents.Maybe one of them could be the mode of transmission into the community.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Now earlier you were quoting the CHO on how this Delta variant has a shorter incubation and can be transmitted with fleeting contact.

I think you may be referring to his, and Cheng's, remarks that I discussed on Kappa where (at the time) at least 8 cases were thought to have occurred from "fleeting" transmission.

I am not sure that any fleeting transmission cases have been raised as yet in the Delta Cases in Victoria? But the logic would hold if that had been occurring with Delta as well, or they considered that it should be similar.

Fomite transmission from inside of a sealed bag, without the infected person touching the infected item, would be would be new. And moreso fomite to airborne, which I have not heard of at all.

Interesting to know if anyone has thought of testing the apartment residents.Maybe one of them could be the mode of transmission into the community.

I would be most surprised if no one had thought of either of those two points.



I don't exactly recall the full list of all they were testing, but they were casting the net wide including the cleaners and re-stockers of the flight.

One would presume that at least some of the residents would also have gone in for testing off their own bat, even if not directly invited/suggested to do so.

Certainly there have been calls for anyone in the vicinity of all exposure sites to go and get tested, and not just those who were within a particular premises.

 

[hydrabyss]

So they have a virus that is so bad and so deadly that we are still having the most draconian, knee jerk border restrictions in this country’s history, yet the people who actually have the virus could just “lay low until the symptoms pass”. There are a few issues there…..

If we go down the path of naming and shaming, massive fines etc etc then people are simply not going to come forward for testing (especially given, as you said, they can just have a bit of a lie down at home and get over it).

The time for these knee jerk lockdowns of the entire population and arbitrary border closures (that are easily circumvented) has passed.

I am just waiting for a media release that the only thing they did wrong was the state permit pass was not filled in correctly but they where moving house so everything is ok now.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

New exposure sites added today, all presumably linked to today's reported case. Note the case has 3 household members who were tested today (results pending).

Case alerts - public exposure sites | Coronavirus Victoria

Victorian locations where there is a risk you may have been exposed to COVID-19

www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

 

[jonboixxx]

for testing off their own bat,

There may be a problem with people keeping their own bat?? Am I wrong here?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

There may be a problem with people keeping their own bat?? Am I wrong here?

Meaning of "Off their own bat": at one's own instigation;

So just go and get tested, even if not suggested to do so.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

A new exposure site has been added in Victoria.

They seem over the last few days to be casting the net back a long way in time in order to seek out some of the unknown transmission chains.

This being 27 days ago, I am not sure how fruitful that would directly be if someone was infected, they most likely would have recovered. Even if they infected someone in their household, they may also have recovered.

Though if there is a continuing transmission chain in the Docklands region it may prompt some more people to go and get tested.


This being 27 days ago

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well I just woke to the news of zero covid cases.

Well at least in our household anyway

My wife had a slight runny nose and so went and got tested yesterday afternoon. The text came in while we slept that she was negative. So, out of isolation for us.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[lovetravellingoz]

VicGovDH

@VicGovDH
·
14m

The one new locally-acquired case is a primary close contact who has been quarantining throughout their infectious period.

 

[justinbrett]

So they have a virus that is so bad and so deadly that we are still having the most draconian, knee jerk border restrictions in this country’s history, yet the people who actually have the virus could just “lay low until the symptoms pass”. There are a few issues there…..

So I think it's common knowledge that people in their 40s (as this couple were) are very unlikely to get symptoms severe enough to require hospitalisation. The "so bad and deadly", whilst your words not mine, refer to the virus infecting the much older and/or those with comorbidities, and the speed and ease in which it spreads.

If we go down the path of naming and shaming, massive fines etc etc then people are simply not going to come forward for testing (especially given, as you said, they can just have a bit of a lie down at home and get over it).

I don't accept those breaking the law would likely get tested regardless. I think this couple did because they had to for work and they gambled that they probably didn't have the virus. If you are going to close the border, you have to back that up with enforcement. Otherwise don't bother.

The time for these knee jerk lockdowns of the entire population and arbitrary border closures (that are easily circumvented) has passed.

I don't disagree. I just think there should be a level playing field - those who abide by the laws and go through the processes of exemptions vs those who just do what they want.

It would appear this couple attended the shopping centre which was a known location in Melbourne so there is a question which does bring an additional layer of guilt on them.

 

[DC3]

I heard she had the classic symptom of loss of smell.

And hoping that others wouldn’t smell the rat?

 

[dajop]

Looks like the Victorian government is going down the path of NSW, to put laws in place that give them powers to deal with public health emergencies without having to declare "State of Emergency" (although the headline does lead you down a bit of a garden path, the laws still have to go to parliament).

Andrews government secretly negotiating permanent pandemic laws to replace state of emergency

Health Department officials have been meeting with three powerful crossbenchers whose demands are set to radically change the way the government manages COVID-19.

www.theage.com.au

I was triggered by the following comment in the article:

Greg Buchhorn, a lawyer and policy committee member of civil rights group Liberty Victoria, said the broad State of Emergency laws have resulted in some extreme intrusions on individual rights, such as forcing new prisoners to do 14 days of quarantine - “effectively solitary confinement” - even with little to no COVID-19 in the community.

Don't care. Poor things, prisoners dealing with 14 days solitary confinement. Poor things. I've had to do 14 days solitary confinement, coming from somewhere with little to no COVID-19 in the community, as have hundreds of thousands of others. Although granted did have access to facetime, Zoom and Netflix.

 

[Austman]

Re the couple that travelled from VIC to QLD:

Maybe the AFF lynch mob should wait until all the facts are actually known? Although the couple would be dead and buried by now if some on AFF had their way. (perhaps after 14 days in morgue quarantine?)

How many times have authorities backpedaled and admitted that they got it or at least parts of it wrong? With some of their announced "facts" proving to be incorrect? Quite a few times.

I agree it doesn't look good for the couple. But even authorities in 3 states are backpedaling a bit ...

We'll know pretty soon.

 

[DC3]

… Maybe the AFF lynch mob should wait until all the facts are actually known? …..

Who is in the AFF lynch mob?

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

Who is in the AFF lynch mob?

I would love to be in the lynch mob and beat the cr*p out of the offenders .... oh but wait .... then I would have to go into quarantine as I would be a close contact ......

 

[justinbrett]

Re the couple that travelled from VIC to QLD:

Maybe the AFF lynch mob should wait until all the facts are actually known? Although the couple would be dead and buried by now if some on AFF had their way. (perhaps after 14 days in morgue quarantine?)

How many times have authorities backpedaled and admitted that they got it or at least parts of it wrong? With some of their announced "facts" proving to be incorrect? Quite a few times.

I agree it doesn't look good for the couple. But even authorities in 3 states are backpedaling a bit ...

We'll know pretty soon.

 

[suze2000]

As someone who *is* moving to QLD, and *is* doing the right thing by going into hotel quarantine, I can assure you that I investigated all options and there were two:

1. Fly into QLD and do hotel quarantine
2. Fly into SYD and self-isolate there. The difference with this being you are allowed out to buy food and exercise, so if you can find an accommodation provider that doesn't mind and are able to organise your own transport and shopping, this is a legit option.
ETA 3. Fly into OOL and IMMEDIATELY cross into NSW where again, you must self-isolate for your 14 days.

Driving from MEL is breaching your 25km limit. And again, crossing into QLD without going to HQ is breaching the health orders. Which were read out to me when I was ordered into HQ (as I expected to be).

 

[jase05]

Noticed QR code’s very lax in Sydney from what I’ve seen. Over the last few days we have been to stacks of restaurants and shops and witnessed very few signing in with some places actually saying “don’t worry about it”
NRL today at BankWest and next to no one in the queue signed in