Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Read the rest of my post. Do you see "Melbourne" there? You may remember major problems with meat works in their outbreak. And if you read on, you'll see why I mentioned Melbourne. Chance for NSW to be proactive, not reactive. As I wrote, seems like a sensible precaution to me, but YMMV.

Unfortunately NSW Government doesn't plan to do much more proactive measures and look like intending to just sit and wait. Essential businesses - tick, police presence - tick.

Trying the NSW's version of Vic's post code restrictions. Of course can't lockdown someone who is already locked down, so the next requirement is testing. Just wait for a ring of steel - being a ring of plastic street dividers - just to be different (Edit: Hope they don't try the Melbourne towers - everyone stuck at home and can't leave for any reason)

I think we all hope its not a Sunday mirage the lower total local cases figures reported today.

Still over 30 non-isolating in the community for today and over 400 since this outbreak began. And we are not sure how many are in fact mystery unlinked cases.

 

[jase05]

Excellent

Man jailed for breaching WA COVID quarantine rules after having tradies work on his house - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The Craigieburn Coles is presumably related to the Craigieburn family ?

It has now been confirmed that the removalists shopped at Coles (according to ABC TV). So the Craigieburn sites are linked to them.
EDIT However looking at the timeline, that cannot not then be correct and so it may be that is just a possible case linked to them shopped there. ie The person they had contact with with the items moved.

FURTHER EDIT: It is now being stated that the family are the ones who visited Coles and the Service Station below.

 

[SydneySwan]

Excellent

Man jailed for breaching WA COVID quarantine rules after having tradies work on his house - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

Somehow with the parochialism shown by McGowan I always imagined that it would be foreigners from the eastern states that ended up getting jailed in WA but they have jailed one of their own!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The thought just occurred to me that this 3 or 7 day asymptomatic testing won't kick in for at least 3 or 7 days. If the rule is say written today, then the affected person doesn't need to until Friday or Tuesday next week. I'm guessing they don't have to isolate while waiting for result, just test and keep going about their business - well that's what I assume the shift testing of border workers entailed. And then say add another 2 days to get test results back. The effects of this won't be seen for a week. Hmmm...usually the purpose of asymptomatic testing is to find unidentified cases or chains of transmission.

From Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) updated statement on the role of asymptomatic testing.

Non-targeted testing of asymptomatic people has several problems:

• In populations with low levels of COVID-19, the chance of detecting infection in a person without symptoms is very low. The number of asymptomatic people who would need be tested to identify just one case of COVID-19 is very high. This can be costly in terms of financial resources, personnel time and inconvenience to the people being tested.
• Asymptomatic people are less likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 than those with symptoms. PHLN advises that SARS-CoV-2 tests are very accurate, however, testing in asymptomatic individuals will result in a higher proportion of test results that are more difficult to interpret. In some instances, this may lead to the reporting of false positive results. A false positive test result can cause distress to the person, and their family, social contacts and workplaces. There are also financial impacts when an affected individual with a false positive result cannot work, their close contacts cannot work, and if associated businesses need to be shut down.
• If non-targeted testing of asymptomatic people is conducted at a large scale it could be counterproductive. Precious testing resources (e.g. chemicals and other consumables) and the services of skilled personnel (e.g. testers, contact tracers, data entry staff and epidemiologists) are wasted. Division of these resources can result in delays in diagnosis and isolation of true positive cases, and the identification and quarantine of contacts.

 

[Lynda2475]

The thought just occurred to me that this 3 or 7 day asymptomatic testing won't kick in for at least 3 or 7 days. If the rule is say written today, then the affected person doesn't need to until Friday or Tuesday next week. I'm guessing they don't have to isolate while waiting for result, just test and keep going about their business - well that's what I assume the shift testing of border workers entailed. And then say add another 2 days to get test results back. The effects of this won't be seen for a week. Hmmm...usually the purpose of asymptomatic testing is to find unidentified cases or chains of transmission.

You assume incorrectly.

In the case of Fairfield LGA (and this many expand to other LGAs if cases rise exponentially elsewhere):

Workers have to test negative within the last 3 days, to be permitted to leave.

The health orders take effect tonight, so people basically need to get a test today (unless they have already had a negative yesterday) if they want to the leave Fairfield LGA tomorrow and then again in 3 days time. Rinse and repeat.

Test results also don't take 2 days. They have set up extra testing centres in South West Sydney and most are getting results in under 12 hours (my colleague got hers within 6 hrs her hubby works at Liverpool Hospital so the family all went to get tested as a precaution).

Dr Chant was clear asymptomatic workers do not have to isolate whilst waiting for a result unless they have symptoms in which case need to stay home as has always been the case. This is because we cant have unstaffed aged care homes and hospitals.

 

[Lynda2475]

Read the rest of my post.

I read it but was irrelevant because my post was about Sydney not what happened 12 months ago in Melbourne.

Meat workers have not been called out as a workplace of concern. Need to focus where the problems are.

 

[Lynda2475]

The official details re new testing regime:

From 12:01am on Wednesday 14 July 2021, you may need to get a COVID-19 test if you are leaving your home to go to work.

Fairfield COVID-19 tests​

If you live in or are staying in the Fairfield local government area but you work outside this area, you must have a COVID-19 test once every 72 hours (3 days) in order to be allowed to enter a workplace.

Proof of COVID-19 test​

You must have proof of your COVID-19 test such as an SMS text message on your phone or an email addressed to you.

You must show the proof of your test when asked

• at your workplace by your manager (occupier) or
• to a police officer.

You do not need to get the results of your COVID-19 test before going to or staying at work.

You must get a test every 72 hours (3 days) when you are working outside the Fairfield local government area if you live in or are staying in the Fairfield local government area.

If you test positive, follow the rules for people who are confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Entry to a workplace​

Follow the requirements if you are the occupier of a premises that is

• not a place of residence
• located outside the Fairfield local government area.

You must not allow a person to work at your premises unless that person has had a COVID-19 test in the past 72 hours.

You are allowed to ask a person who is at your premises to show you proof that they have had a COVID-19 test in the past 72 hours.

This applies to all people, including employees, contractors and other service providers who

• work at your premises and
• live in the Fairfield local government area.

How to protect yourself from COVID-19 and help prevent the spread

Everything you need to know about staying safe from COVID-19 and protecting those around you.

www.nsw.gov.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Read the rest of my post. Do you see "Melbourne" there? You may remember major problems with meat works in their outbreak. And if you read on, you'll see why I mentioned Melbourne. Chance for NSW to be proactive, not reactive. As I wrote, seems like a sensible precaution to me, but YMMV.

Yes a quick google indicates that there are indeed meat processing facilities in the region of most concern.

ie

 

[dairyfloss]

Even with somewhat lower accuracy, I can't help but wonder whether broad rapid antigen testing at construction sites and other workplaces or areas of concern are a possible way to provide extra cover through these periods. I realise it's not 100% effective, but it's between 90% & 99% better than not testing someone at all, right?! All workers could be tested on entry (regardless of LGA residence) at the start of their next shift and every 3rd [day] thereafter. Could even go door-to-door (residential) in high concern areas with it as well, with the right notice and messaging...

 

[Lynda2475]

there are indeed meat processing facilities in the region of most concern

And yet again you go off on a tangent, the business you highlighted is not listed as an exposure site.

 

[bcworld]

And yet again you go off on a tangent, the business you highlighted is not listed as an exposure site.

Reading Rooflyer's post...they talked about being proactive rather than reactive.

 

[drron]

Waiting for meatworks to become a place of concern before instituting regular testing is insane.surely you test to make sure they don't become a place of concern.
Meatworks are cold and wet places.ideal for respiratory virus transmission.meatworks weren't just a problem in Victoria but around the world.Particularly in the USA.

In NSW Limo drivers of aircrew weren't thought to be an area of concern until they were.The result - Sydney today.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Probably just me splitting hairs so ignore this post if it is, but I don’t recall getting a SMS or email having done a Covid test. Only an SMS for the result. If the turn around is quick, probably irrelevant by it’s unclear if logistics are already in place. Do others get an SMS/email separate to the SMS result?

It seems to me affected people could comply by testing tomorrow morning and going about their business, perhaps the health orders themselves are more specific.

Hopefully this doesn’t cause significant issues of community unrest.

 

[Lynda2475]

It seems to me affected people could comply by testing tomorrow morning and going about their business,

Of course this is allowed, because this is asymptomatic surveillance testing. You have been provided with the official link to the instructions, not sure what more explanation can be provided.

The rules are different for those who have been told to test because they are a close contact or have symptoms as they do have to isolate.

 

[dairyfloss]

Probably just me splitting hairs so ignore this post if it is, but I don’t recall getting a SMS or email having done a Covid test. Only an SMS for the result. If the turn around is quick, probably irrelevant by it’s unclear if logistics are already in place. Do others get an SMS/email separate to the SMS result?

It seems to me affected people could comply by testing tomorrow morning and going about their business, perhaps the health orders themselves are more specific.

Hopefully this doesn’t cause significant issues of community unrest.

I've had SMS test confirmation and test results separately from 2 separate locations, so far. The confirmation was not like a receipt though, rather it has come through when it arrived at the lab in a batch, some hours after. Might be problematic if someone went for a test and then straight to their worksite, if they need to evidence they did that

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Of course this is allowed, because this is asymptomatic surveillance testing. You have been provided with the official link to the instructions, not sure what more explanation can be provided.

The rules are different for those who have been told to test because they are a close contact or have symptoms as they do have to isolate.

My whole post started with effectively please ignore the post if you think I’m splitting hairs.

But you want to quote one sentence (I’ve asked for you to quote the whole post) and then try to be provocative/divisive. (Edit: what is constructive about confirming something is correct in a seemingly exasperated manner?)

 

[antycbr]

I've had SMS test confirmation and test results separately from 2 separate locations, so far. The confirmation was not like a receipt though, rather it has come through when it arrived at the lab in a batch, some hours after. Might be problematic if someone went for a test and then straight to their worksite, if they need to evidence they did that

Cheers,
Matt.

I expect there will be some discretion on the first day as people need to get tested this afternoon and that may not be possible if people are at work right now in other parts of the city without additional testing locations.

My work has now added place of residence to all sign in forms for contractors so we expect this to be in place for tomorrow.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And yet again you go off on a tangent, the business you highlighted is not listed as an exposure site.

Actually I was 100% on the point that RooFlyer had made.

And also his question on where the meatworks are located.

The point is to prevent such facilities from becoming a large cluster.

Abattoirs and the like are high risk facilities.

Prevention is better than cure.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I expect there will be some discretion on the first day as people need to get tested this afternoon and that may not be possible if people are at work right now in other parts of the city without additional testing locations.

My work has now added place of residence to all sign in forms for contractors so we expect this to be in place for tomorrow.

At least there is one 24-hour test clinic in the Fairfield area (I believe), so that may help the situation.

But yes hope there is some reasonable discretion with the new requirements.