Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[MEL_Traveller]

I don't understand the opening of gyms? Enclosed spaces, vigorous exercise, lots of potential for aerosol transmission. IIRC gyms were some of the last venues to open in Victoria.

If nothing else... people will look at gyms opening and ask how that is safer than going to visit mum and dad? (where we know transmission is high)

Is NSW actually serious in trying to combat the virus?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1422321513043091456

The four new locally-acquired cases are linked to the current outbreaks and all have been in quarantine throughout their infectious period

 

[bcworld]

Are they targeting these percentages based on a single dose, or properly fully vaccinated?

She wants to send year 12 back in 13 days right? The vaccination hub for them opens 7 days before that?

So they could receive a single does of Pfizer on Friday and head to school on Monday? What am I missing?

 

[Pushka]

I don't understand the opening of gyms? Enclosed spaces, vigorous exercise, lots of potential for aerosol transmission. IIRC gyms were some of the last venues to open in Victoria.

If nothing else... people will look at gyms opening and ask how that is safer than going to visit mum and dad? (where we know transmission is high)

Is NSW actually serious in trying to combat the virus?

Gyms open in SA but household limits remain at 10 including residents. Likely to have crowds at the footy who can yell and scream to their hearts content, but singing is banned everywhere. Guess that means they can't sing the team song. But only one parent allowed to watch outside kids sport. None of this makes any sense any more.

We have zero community transmission for a week now and all those in the week prior were in isolation anyway.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I don't understand the opening of gyms? Enclosed spaces, vigorous exercise, lots of potential for aerosol transmission. IIRC gyms were some of the last venues to open in Victoria.

If nothing else... people will look at gyms opening and ask how that is safer than going to visit mum and dad? (where we know transmission is high)

Is NSW actually serious in trying to combat the virus?

It doesn't seems so.

May be the unauthorised leak is to get community feedback.

At yesterday's NSW authorities' press conference, there was discussion about schools and work.

Are they targeting these percentages based on a single dose, or properly fully vaccinated?

She wants to send year 12 back in 13 days right? The vaccination hub for them opens 7 days before that? What am I missing?

Good question.

One would hope fully vaccinated and not one dose, but with the NSW Government one can never be too sure.


Edit: Apparently, NSW is 41.6% one-dose and 19.3% two-dose of those eligible as at yesterday's numbers

 

[bcworld]

If nothing else... people will look at gyms opening and ask how that is safer than going to visit mum and dad? (where we know transmission is high)

Gyms are open in Victoria now...but you can't visit mum & dad.

 

[bcworld]

One would hope fully vaccinated and not one dose, but with the NSW Government one can never be too sure.

To quote Gladys (sort of): “I fear for Victoria NSW and I worry about what their government may do.”

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Gyms are open in Victoria now...but you can't visit mum & dad.

True - but we also have (in theory) zero community transmission. The restriction around mum and dad is the lack of tracing and QR codes.

I think the difference for SA and Vic is that in those two states decisions are based on health advice only. NSW has clearly stated they take a range of advice - including economic. As a lay person that feels like health is being compromised for economic purposes?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Hopefully this counter-balances the open at 50% one-dose theory...courtesy ABC live blog

COVID outbreak takes its toll on Sydney hospital staff, says association​

The Nurses and Midwives Association says a coronavirus outbreak at Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west has taken a huge toll on medical staff.

Dozens of staff members from Westmead Hospital have been forced into isolation after a fellow staff member worked three shifts last week while infectious with coronavirus.

There were 207 local cases yesterday, with 54 people in intensive care across Sydney's hospital system.

Association General Secretary Brett Holmes says intensive care nurses are ready to walk out.

"We know that our Westmead ICU has been operating frequently with fifteen staff shortage on a shift and we now understand that they have been hit by a COVID exposure this week which has led to up to twenty nurses and ten doctors who are currently in isolation."

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

How things pan out for the unvaccinated kids (edit: in particular ineligible to be vaccinated) in SE Qld over the next 3 weeks might have a big bearing on NSW authorities decision.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Qld Presser: 16 new cases in Queensland.

All related to Indooroopilly sites and links.

Testing volumes starting to rise and are now 30K+. Which is still too low though.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

So far seem to have a good grasp of quarantine numbers in SE Qld outbreak - courtesy news live blog

There are now 7995 Queenslanders in quarantine and at least 4089 in home quarantine, although the deputy Premier said that number would probably be "much more than that".

He urged the public to follow the rules to stop the spread.

"It's important that while all of us in the south-east have to stay home, those who are subject to home quarantine directions are legally required to stay home."

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think the difference for SA and Vic is that in those two states decisions are based on health advice only. NSW has clearly stated they take a range of advice - including economic. As a lay person that feels like health is being compromised for economic purposes?

Do you believe that government should take advice from only one source and act solely on that advice?

This NSW plan sounds pretty good to me. Realistic even, as covid zero is gone.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Do you believe that government should take advice from only one source and act solely on that advice?

This NSW plan sounds pretty good to me. Realistic even, as covid zero is gone.

In a state of emergency driven by health issues, 'yes', I would expect advice to be based on the health experts.

For months the Cth and states have hid behind the 'we're following health advice'. As unpalatable as that may have been for us, at least we knew the basis... that our health wasn't being weighed up against the interests of big or small business.

Now the Cth and some premiers are starting to introduce economics. The Cth for example said 'working from home is not suitable for Australia'. Why? Not because of health grounds, but because they want us in the city to support small business.

in Victoria the suggestion (not mandated) prior to this lockdown was that people return to the office. But we didn't. We separated out the health from the economics.

Maybe covid zero is gone in NSW. It's still a realistic and achievable aim in every other state and territory, albeit with an occasional 'escape' (quickly fixed by a short, sharp circuit-breaker).

 

[Must...Fly!]

In a state of emergency driven by health issues, 'yes', I would expect advice to be based on the health experts.

Who implemented the state of emergency?

Maybe covid zero is gone in NSW. It's still a realistic and achievable aim in every other state and territory, albeit with an occasional 'escape' (quickly fixed by a short, sharp circuit-breaker).

That statement is in direct contradiction with itself. Constant "short sharp" lockdowns will eventually drive business confidence (and consumer) to zero.

And while the health may have been put first, we now have vaccines which mean that equation has changed.

 

[nutwood]

Maybe covid zero is gone in NSW. It's still a realistic and achievable aim in every other state and territory, albeit with an occasional 'escape' (quickly fixed by a short, sharp circuit-breaker).

I'm flummoxed by this. Is the suggestion that Australia surges forward and just abandons NSW? How can the country operate if every visit to NSW results in fourteen days hotel quarantine?
Perhaps NSW could become a "virtual State", never visited physically?

 

[Must...Fly!]

I'm flummoxed by this. Is the suggestion that Australia surges forward and just abandons NSW? How can the country operate if every visit to NSW results in fourteen days hotel quarantine?
Perhaps NSW could become a "virtual State", never visited physically?

If lockdowns are even part of the published national or state strategy going forward, even localised ones, then it's pretty obvious that tourism in to Australia from overseas is completely dead. Who the hell would choose to come here for a holiday.

 

[burmans]

Who implemented the state of emergency?


That statement is in direct contradiction with itself. Constant "short sharp" lockdowns will eventually drive business confidence (and consumer) to zero.

And while the health may have been put first, we now have vaccines which mean that equation has changed.

Covid implemented the state of emergency, and frankly short sharp lockdowns will have less effect on business and consumer confidence than letting it run riot and then having one very large lockdown, plenty of other countries proved that alternate theory doesn't work well.

As for vaccines, yes abolutely but they actually need to be in 70-80% of the population (twice), talking as if vaccination is a done thing at this stage is a nonsense.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Covid implemented the state of emergency

A virus did not implement a state of emergency, a government did in response to it. The same governments have continually extended said state of emergency in response to the ongoing (assessed) threat. It may seem like an irrelevant point but I think it is very important to acknowledge.

As for vaccines, yes abolutely but they actually need to be in 70-80% of the population (twice), talking as if vaccination is a done thing at this stage is a nonsense.

Fair enough, I don't think it is really fair to open up before everyone in the eligible population is at least offered a vaccination anyway.

However the risk calculation changes with every extra dose of vaccine that is administered in the country. We need to be continually adaptive to the reality. The cost of getting to COVID zero after each new outbreak is in relative terms much higher the more we vaccinate.

 

[jase05]

I'm flummoxed by this. Is the suggestion that Australia surges forward and just abandons NSW? How can the country operate if every visit to NSW results in fourteen days hotel quarantine?
Perhaps NSW could become a "virtual State", never visited physically?

Unfortunately I think this is what exactly will happen. The other states and territories lol like sticking together and NSW will be a leper colony until next year. No way any states will open up to them for months and some border restrictions are actually being strengthened as we have seen in recent days. I’d imagine when the NZ travel bubble potentially restarts that NSW are not part of it either and we will have a bizarre situation where everyone in the rest of Australia can visit NZ but be locked out of NSW