Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[jakeseven7]

I'd hazard a guess she's trying to say many entering on visas are immediate family members of a dual citizen - which I long suspected anyway.

Boy she came out swinging though! Would love to see her an AP in the same room.

Basically she has accused QLD of straight out lying this morning. Which seems to be accurate. What a mess.

 

[bcworld]

Basically she has accused QLD of straight out lying this morning. Which seems to be accurate. What a mess.

I'm not sure...she seemed a bit flustered herself. It started off OK and then got a bit Dr. Young! The specifics were not really covered.

 

[Lynda2475]

spread by the Virgin Flight attendant

Who may have still been flying if they claimed to be an "essential worker", even if we had some restrictions earlier.

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm not sure...she seemed a bit flustered herself. It started off OK and then got a bit Dr. Young! The specifics were not really covered.

I meant with the numbers. But yes agree. She did pull a ‘Dr Young’ and started spitting and screeching a bit.

 

[justinbrett]

Just to seek clarification on the hospital receptionist......

One cluster (the hospital receptionist) likely caught it from that hospital, it has been linked to a QLD returned traveller

How did the receptionist get it from hospital (I'm guessing: her work)?

She is the receptionist for the covid ward and works directly outside that ward. Together with the linkage to a QLD arrival, seems to be a closed case she caught it from the hospital - I guess not 100% but it's the most likely explanation.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

She is the receptionist for the covid ward and works directly outside that ward. Together with the linkage to a QLD arrival, seems to be a closed case she caught it from the hospital - I guess not 100% but it's the most likely explanation.

So the covid ward was active with positive cases (Edit: and a person was returning from overseas and positive was admitted there)???

If that's the case, it seems unlikely the receptionist would be the first case. (Edit: I don't have a lot of faith in hospitals ensuring everyone was vaccinated). Hope they link it genomically fast.

 

[justinbrett]

So the covid ward was active with positive cases??? If that's the case, it seems unlikely the receptionist would be the first case. Hope they link it genomically fast.

A covid ward without positive cases is an empty ward... that's the whole point of it!

Why would it be the first case? They know there's covid infected returned travellers in the ward, it's always a risk staff will catch it.

They have linked it genomically to a returned traveller.

I'm not sure why you're alarmed? It's like launching an investigation of why a man who visited a dominos store came back with a pizza...

 

[Lynda2475]

So the covid ward was active with positive cases??? If that's the case, it seems unlikely the receptionist would be the first case. Hope they link it genomically fast.

I understood that Qld move all positive cases to Hospital even if they are well.

If the rest of the staff were fully vaccinated and tested daily it may be the receptionist is the only staff member who is positive, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there are more to come depending on whether the receptionist visited other part of the hospital.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A covid ward without positive cases is an empty ward... that's the whole point of it!

Why would it be the first case? They know there's covid infected returned travellers in the ward, it's always a risk staff will catch it.

They have linked it genomically to a returned traveller.

I'm not sure why you're alarmed? It's like launching an investigation of why a man who visited a dominos store came back with a pizza...

I understood that Qld move all positive cases to Hospital even if they are well.

If the rest of the staff were fully vaccinated and tested daily it may be the receptionist is the only staff member who is positive, but I also wouldn't be surprised if there are more to come depending on whether the receptionist visited other part of the hospital.

Thanks for the clarification.

I've heard a lot on covid wards (both active and empty) and they would have been treated similarly eg re:vaccination urgency, so a covid ward employee being unvaccinated is not that surprising to me. Many 1a were moved to 1b, etc , etc.

I guess my urgency is that given some would have been unvaccinated, I thought a receptionist would have been a lower risk than say a cleaner. When the full details come out re PPE, etc, it would be interesting to see what failures occurred apart from vaccination (which isn't mandatory). Well at least I hope they do an internal review of some sort.

 

[justinbrett]

Thanks for the clarification.

I've heard a lot on covid wards (both active and empty) and they would have been treated similarly eg re:vaccination urgency, so a covid ward employee being unvaccinated is not that surprising to me. Many 1a were moved to 1b, etc , etc.

I guess my urgency is that given some would have been unvaccinated, I thought a receptionist would have been a lower risk than say a cleaner. When the full details come out re PPE, etc, it would be interesting to see what failures occurred apart from vaccination (which isn't mandatory). Well at least I hope they do an internal review of some sort.

The QLD CHO has said it's semantics (the direction says vaccine is mandatory for those working in a covid ward, she worked just outside the covid ward). Nevertheless the premier is furious and has launched an investigation.

 

[drron]

Just to seek clarification on the hospital receptionist......

One cluster (the hospital receptionist) likely caught it from that hospital, it has been linked to a QLD returned traveller

How did the receptionist get it from hospital (I'm guessing: her work)?

QLD puts their positive covid patients into hospital from HQ.Her case was linked to an OS returnee who was admitted to that covid ward.

 

[Princess Fiona]

QLD puts their positive covid patients into hospital from HQ.Her case was linked to an OS returnee who was admitted to that covid ward.

And there was much angst directed at the Feds as the traveller she contracted the virus from was an unvaccinated gentleman who has made repeated trips to Indonesia.
And then some shade thrown about Business class travelers.

It was like a train wreck, couldn’t avert my eyes

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The QLD CHO has said it's semantics (the direction says vaccine is mandatory for those working in a covid ward, she worked just outside the covid ward). Nevertheless the premier is furious and has launched an investigation.

Unfortunately rules aren't perfect - semantics or otherwise.

Rules didn't catch out limo driver, so hopefully in fairness hope the receptionist is left alone. Seems to me, receptionist seems innocent bystander as the term goes.

 

[drron]

Unfortunately rules aren't perfect - semantics or otherwise.

Rules didn't catch out limo driver, so hopefully in fairness hope the receptionist is left alone. Seems to me, receptionist seems innocent bystander as the term goes.

Though you would think that there would be extra precaution transporting a covid patient through a hospital.Down in Launceston last year the covid ward was directly across a corridor from the ED.When a positive case was transferred the corridor was complely blocked off.As well 1 lift was reserved for covid patients being transferred to the ICU.

So there was a slip up by the hospital pure and simple.NSW and the Feds are in the clear.

 

[Lynda2475]

Seems to me, receptionist seems innocent bystander as the term goes.

Remains to be seen, even if not required to be vaccinated she (like everyone else) is required to get tested if she has symptoms.

 

[justinbrett]

Unfortunately rules aren't perfect - semantics or otherwise.

Rules didn't catch out limo driver, so hopefully in fairness hope the receptionist is left alone. Seems to me, receptionist seems innocent bystander as the term goes.

Other than going to work in a hospital whilst having symptoms then flying on a holiday where you have to make a travel declaration that you have no symptoms

Unlikely she is "innocent" but the inquiry will be the judge of that.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Remains to be seen, even if not required to be vaccinated she (like everyone else) is required to get tested if she has symptoms.

Other than going to work in a hospital whilst having symptoms then flying on a holiday where you have to make a travel declaration that you have no symptoms

Unlikely she is "innocent" but the inquiry will be the judge of that.

I was focussing on the rules to avoid catching covid aspect (limo v receptionist)...

 

[VPS]

Tas, with no cases (so far) to make the Check In Tas app mandatory for retailers, including supermarkets, shopping centres and big box outlets next week. The AFL match between Carlton and Fremantle will now not be played in Tasmania.

And ... a new outside marquee to be installed at Hobart airport to provide some shelter from the Tasmanian winter for those queuing outside for the arrivals health check process. Lat week, about 300 pax were on the tarmac, at night, in the cold, waiting for the border checks inside, where you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your fellow passengers while being interviewed.

I think there should be mandatory check in everywhere for that just in case scenario so don't have a problem with that.

About time they got a marquee but I agree about the cheek by jowl queuing - bizarre

 

[Lynda2475]

Some of Karen Andrews (Home Affairs Minister) comments in the presser today were priceless:

What Premier Palaszczuk and her deputy Steven Miles are doing is trying to create a distraction from their own quarantine failures.

The reason that we are in lockdown here, particularly in South East Queensland, but also in parts of northern Queensland are because of failures by the Palaszczuk Government.

Firstly, for the mine worker that came in from Bendigo, they were a low risk individual, domestic traveller. They were put into hotel quarantine in a room between two high risk international travellers. And it would appear that as a result of that, that individual has contracted COVID.

There is also the failure of Premier Palaszczuk and her deputy premier Steven Miles to make sure that health workers in high risk areas are properly vaccinated. And that has led to a young worker being infected with COVID.

So clearly what Annastacia Palaszczuk is doing is making sure that she is doing as much as she possibly can to ensure that she puts up a smokescreen to hide the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of quarantine that is administered and managed by the Queensland Government.

then

Now, it is actually interesting to note that some days Premier Palaszczuk and the Queensland state Labor government choose to push to have people enter this state. Particularly those people who are involved in film and television, who are involved in sports.

But when they have their own failure that they can't manage, they are very quick to jump up and down, try to blame the Commonwealth Government and then demand that borders be down or that caps be reduced.

Quite frankly, Queenslanders can see these claims for exactly what they are - they don't stack up, they are a smokescreen, and quite frankly the Premier needs to get on with managing the state.

and then

Here in Queensland we have Annastacia Palaszczuk who is saying that she wants to go over to the Olympics in Tokyo, and in fact that was one of the reasons that she gave her need to step up and get the Pfizer vaccine.

So she's actually at the point of saying that she's arguing against her own travel to Tokyo. It will be interesting to see what Palaszczuk now has to say about whether or not she's going to travel to Tokyo.

 

[Pushka]

And there was much angst directed at the Feds as the traveller she contracted the virus from was an unvaccinated gentleman who has made repeated trips to Indonesia.
And then some shade thrown about Business class travelers.

It was like a train wreck, couldn’t avert my eyes

So AP's business trip to the Olympics has now been cancelled?