Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[MooTime]

I would say that is what our hospital system is for. Didn’t we buy thousands of ventilators and setup covid wards last year? I’ve lost track of the number of nurses I’ve had crying their eyes out over the last 12 months begging for shifts.

I agree, but I asked or more so looked for that answer, found diddly & want that answer from all levels of hospital services employees. Not just some CEO office page turner.

Are we bloody ready for a large increase in covid cases, are we really ready. And not at the expense of other ailments like cancer tests etc etc being pushed aside.

If we can have that confirmed & an indepth confirmation then I'm comfortable to open up.

I just don't want to get to the situation that hospital staff are cooked, like they were in Vic 2020.
Everything will fall on them, we know what will happen once we open.....are we or will we be ready??????

The burden on hospital staff can't be underestimated, & I don't work in that sector whatsoever.

 

[nickykim]

I like the reports in the paper today of a 102 year old Sydney woman who was sent a letter saying she had to attend centrelink in person with proof of Identity.First of all she is in lockdown and second she is bedbound.When told of the letter the woman told her family - oh well I had better go out and get a job.
The serious point is why are Centrelink doing this whilst in lockdown.

I received a similar request from Centrelink yesterday - some 5 months after approval of DSP for terminal illness. It so makes sense to ask someone with a terminal illness with no immune system to go and stand in the cold with random other people outside a Centrelink office.

 

[N860CR]

Are we bloody ready for a large increase in covid cases, are we really ready. And not at the expense of other ailments like cancer tests etc etc being pushed aside.

Yes we are. Especially in NSW. NSW Health actually conducted a pandemic trial in the year prior to COVID coming to be. Purely lucky timing, but I’m sure it’s been one of the reasons our health system has been a strong performer.

I just don't want to get to the situation that hospital staff are cooked, like they were in Vic 2020.
Everything will fall on them, we know what will happen once we open.....are we or will we be ready??????

The burden on hospital staff can't be underestimated, & I don't work in that sector whatsoever.

True. But that’s the job. And I would say 99% of health care workers just want to go to work and do what they’re paid for (without the “heroes” propaganda or the few who get on social media for their 5 minutes).

The Victorian health system is a shambles, yes. WA largely the same. Both states run by the party who should be managing both better (but that’s another debate). As citizens, however, we can’t bear the brunt of state government incompetence.

 

[Must...Fly!]

The younger generation has lost 18 months of their lives to protect the vulnerable. They’ll also be paying back the cost of this for the rest of their lives. We’re already in a two tier system.

This is an argument lost on most, and where the "wait for pfizer" crowd should be truly ashamed of themselves.

Personal responsibility. They should have been vaccinated by now. If they haven’t, they can go and do it now and wait out the weeks for it to be effective. If they chose not to, not our problem.

Unfortunately we're probably not quite at that stage, but on principle once that time comes, I absolutely agree. You cannot hold the majority to restrictions in life because a minority of people CHOOSE not to be protected. As you said, that is up to them. I am confident the majority of the electorate will slowly move to that line of thinking over the next 6-12 months.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yet all of those vulnerable have now had six months to get vaccinated. Perhaps they need a bit of a push.

The younger generation has lost 18 months of their lives to protect the vulnerable. They’ll also be paying back the cost of this for the rest of their lives. We’re already in a two tier system.

oh no! 18 months! what a shame. The elderly and vulnerable lost 5 years fighting the second world war to give us the freedoms we have today. Let's put that in to some perspective. Do we really want the young to be out clubbing by making the elderly miss out on the RSL and Anzac day?

Paying back for the rest of their lives? I guess the same was said about the two world wars, Korean and Vietnam wars, the middle east wars, the GFC and countless other very costly exercises. yet we seem to have come through those. I'm not sure my parents are still paying for the cost of world war two.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Do we really want the young to be out clubbing by making the elderly miss out on the RSL and Anzac day?

For crying out loud, get a grip on your hyperbole.

In a large part of the country, a 25 year old son or daughter can't go to Mum or Dad's for dinner without breaking the law.

There are numerous members on this forum hoping against hope that some time in the next 12 months, their Australian born children can come back to VISIT them for a few weeks AND be allowed to leave the country again to return to their lives.

There are COUNTLESS others who have missed major life milestones and relationships broken by the distance which has been put in place by governments.

This has NOTHING to do with clubbing, and your characterisation of it as such highlights the sheer lack of understanding you have of the discussion that is being had.

 

[N860CR]

oh no! 18 months! what a shame. The elderly and vulnerable lost 5 years fighting the second world war to give us the freedoms we have today. Let's put that in to some perspective. Do we really want the young to be out clubbing by making the elderly miss out on the RSL and Anzac day?

Oh for gods sake

But I will bite. 5 years fighting for freedoms…. Like my freedom to drive through Annandale without the fuzz asking for papers? That freedom?

 

[Pushka]

oh no! 18 months! what a shame. The elderly and vulnerable lost 5 years fighting the second world war to give us the freedoms we have today. Let's put that in to some perspective. Do we really want the young to be out clubbing by making the elderly miss out on the RSL and Anzac day?

Paying back for the rest of their lives? I guess the same was said about the two world wars, Korean and Vietnam wars, the middle east wars, the GFC and countless other very costly exercises. yet we seem to have come through those. I'm not sure my parents are still paying for the cost of world war two.

My mum lost her father prematurely due to gassing on the WW1 western Front. Lived through WW11 as a teenager. I can assure you that had she been alive and in her nursing home during the last 18 months and completely isolated from us then she would rate that as being far worse.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Personal responsibility. They should have been vaccinated by now. If they haven’t, they can go and do it now and wait out the weeks for it to be effective. If they chose not to, not our problem.




I would say that is what our hospital system is for. Didn’t we buy thousands of ventilators and setup covid wards last year? I’ve lost track of the number of nurses I’ve had crying their eyes out over the last 12 months begging for shifts.

The hospital system will not cope if we open up until there are adequate levels of vaccination.
It doesn’t matter how many ventilators you have if you don’t have the trained staff to look after the patients.

Louisiana is an example of what Delta looks like in a population that isn’t adequately vaccinated.
37% of those over 12 are fully vaccinated.

They have 50% of the population of NSW

Almost 3000 in hospital and over 300 ventilated.
No elective surgery at all. Other care, cancer etc ground to a halt.
I don’t think we should go that way in any state in Australia.
We have safe, effective vaccines.
We should get them in arms as quickly as possible and then start living with Covid.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Louisiana is an example of what Delta looks like in a population that isn’t adequately vaccinated.
37% of those over 12 are fully vaccinated.

Thankfully people there are starting to get with reality. Stories like this help. Pretty sure I heard they gave the most vaccinations of any state last week.

Louisiana's Struggle To Get Its Health Care Workers Vaccinated Against COVID

In Louisiana, COVID-19 vaccination rates are rising, but they are still among the lowest in the country. As cases surge, vaccine hesitancy among health care workers has officials concerned.

www.npr.org

 

[N860CR]

Almost 3000 in hospital and over 300 ventilated.
No elective surgery at all. Other care, cancer etc ground to a halt.
I don’t think we should go that way in any state in Australia.
We have safe, effective vaccines.
We should get them in arms as quickly as possible and then start living with Covid.

Absolutely. We have safe, effective and available vaccines. Everyone over 60 should now be fully vaccinated. Yet they are not. I agree the government messaging on AZ was poor, but I don’t think over 60s were ever told not to get it? (please correct me if I’m wrong). At what point do we stop holding their hands?

Nobody is saying “open up” fully. We are talking about a controlled opening and allowing the vulnerable to stay home. I’ve been fully vaccinated since May. As have my parents, brothers, close friends and remaining grandparent. The risk of us seeing each other is negligible.

I consider myself lucky. I’m a strong person, I have a nice house to work on and a dog who’s never gotten more attention before. But I sit alone in my big house and reflect on everything that’s been lost over the last 18 months. It’s hard, and I know for plenty of others who aren’t like me, it would be unbearable.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

The hospital system will not cope if we open up until there are adequate levels of vaccination.
It doesn’t matter how many ventilators you have if you don’t have the trained staff to look after the patients.

Louisiana is an example of what Delta looks like in a population that isn’t adequately vaccinated.
37% of those over 12 are fully vaccinated.

They have 50% of the population of NSW

Almost 3000 in hospital and over 300 ventilated.
No elective surgery at all. Other care, cancer etc ground to a halt.
I don’t think we should go that way in any state in Australia.
We have safe, effective vaccines.
We should get them in arms as quickly as possible and then start living with Covid.

Louisiana has amazing people, amazing food and horrendous administration, something like this was always going to be a disaster there, wouldnt boil it down to just a couple of factors

 

[MooTime]

The hospital system will not cope if we open up until there are adequate levels of vaccination.
It doesn’t matter how many ventilators you have if you don’t have the trained staff to look after the patients.

Louisiana is an example of what Delta looks like in a population that isn’t adequately vaccinated.
37% of those over 12 are fully vaccinated.

They have 50% of the population of NSW

Almost 3000 in hospital and over 300 ventilated.
No elective surgery at all. Other care, cancer etc ground to a halt.
I don’t think we should go that way in any state in Australia.
We have safe, effective vaccines.
We should get them in arms as quickly as possible and then start living with Covid.

Thanks for that post, good info to know.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Oh for gods sake

But I will bite. 5 years fighting for freedoms…. Like my freedom to drive through Annandale without the fuzz asking for papers? That freedom?

In Australia it's not absolute freedoms at that very granular level you describe. It's the umbrella freedoms such as the right to vote who you want to represent you. Freedom of thought. (Limited) freedom of speech. Australia does not have a bill of rights like America.

 

[RAM]

Personal responsibility. They should have been vaccinated by now. If they haven’t, they can go and do it now and wait out the weeks for it to be effective. If they chose not to, not our problem.

So the over 10,000 people in Federally overseen Disability Care facilities who were supposed to be fully vaccinated by Week 6 as Prioirty Group 1A with Pfizer by the 4 private companies paid $167.5m - and as of last Friday have still not been given their 1st dose - they have 'personal responsibility'?

I would say that is what our hospital system is for. Didn’t we buy thousands of ventilators and setup covid wards last year? I’ve lost track of the number of nurses I’ve had crying their eyes out over the last 12 months begging for shifts.

You are based in Australia not Wuhan like the 'Swiss Scientist'?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/10/wilson-edwards-china-swiss/

As your point of view is remarkably similar

 

[N860CR]

In Australia it's not freedoms at that very granular level you describe. It's the umbrella freedoms such as the right to vote who you want to represent you. Freedom of thought. (Limited) freedom of speech. Australia does not have a bill of rights like America.

Ah right. So 5 years fighting for freedom, but we didn’t get it. Gotcha.

So the over 10,000 people in Federally overseen Disability Care facilities who were supposed to be fully vaccinated by Week 6 as Prioirty Group 1A with Pfizer by the 4 private companies paid $167.5m - and as of last Friday have still not been given their 1st dose - they have 'personal responsibility'?

Absolutely. Being in a care facility does not dissolve the individual or their family of responsibility.

edit; they’re also in care facilities. They’re not wandering around the community presenting a risk. They are in a controlled environment with significant measures in place to protect them.

You are based in Australia not Wuhan like the 'Swiss Scientist'?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/10/wilson-edwards-china-swiss/
As your point of view is remarkably similar

Umm ok? Not sure what the point there is.

 

[antycbr]

John Barilaro:

Stay home orders will apply to anyone who was in Canberra on or after 5 August. Stop the spread and don’t leave Canberra. I’ll be asking Commissioner Fuller to ramp up police resources on the South Coast looking for blue and white number plates. Large penalties will apply.

Lots of pot/kettle/black comments... if the spread had been stopped in the other direction ACT wouldn't be under lockdown.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1425679194059513859

 

[SydneySwan]

I like the reports in the paper today of a 102 year old Sydney woman who was sent a letter saying she had to attend centrelink in person with proof of Identity.First of all she is in lockdown and second she is bedbound.When told of the letter the woman told her family - oh well I had better go out and get a job.
The serious point is why are Centrelink doing this whilst in lockdown.

The PM told Centrelink not to chase all those companies that got paid unnecessary JobKeeper payments so they are focusing on the small fry.

 

[dajop]

John Barilaro:

Stay home orders will apply to anyone who was in Canberra on or after 5 August. Stop the spread and don’t leave Canberra. I’ll be asking Commissioner Fuller to ramp up police resources on the South Coast looking for blue and white number plates. Large penalties will apply.

Lots of pot/kettle/black comments... if the spread had been stopped in the other direction ACT wouldn't be under lockdown.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1425679194059513859

Quick, look at what's happening over there.

 

[bcworld]

Lots of pot/kettle/black comments... if the spread had been stopped in the other direction ACT wouldn't be under lockdown.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1425679194059513859

Surprised to see Pork Barilaro is allowing comments on his tweets again. Of course the ultimate irony is his daughter's breach of the rules travelling from Sydney to the ACT.