Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I can't help but think that the NSW Govt have created expectations about the 'óne' additional freedom for the vaccinated that they simply won't be able to deliver on. I am preparing to be completely underwhelmed and expect that internally they wish Gladys had never floated the idea.

You can rule out opening places like nail salons as they are used by primarily one gender and are predominantly staffed by young ladies who won't in the main be fully vaccinated. I imagine it will be something token like allowing 2 people to go shopping.

What the NSW Premier said has been the Crisis Cabinet "policy" for some time - hinted at by many before the Premier and well before the daily cases got to 300 and the spread to regional NSW. When they went to a two-tier lockdown, they had grand plans of bigger "incentives" - I particularly remember the tone of the Deputy Premier in one of the interviews around that time.

All likely to be revealed tomorrow I guess as Crisis Cabinet was meant to be meeting about it this afternoon/evening.

 

[hydrabyss]

I can't help but think that the NSW Govt have created expectations about the 'óne' additional freedom for the vaccinated that they simply won't be able to deliver on. I am preparing to be completely underwhelmed and expect that internally they wish Gladys had never floated the idea.

You can rule out opening places like nail salons as they are used by primarily one gender and are predominantly staffed by young ladies who won't in the main be fully vaccinated. I imagine it will be something token like allowing 2 people to go shopping.

I feel something will come that will interest people but may not start for a number of weeks.

 

[justinbrett]

Just to confirm the haircut thing was a leak from Andrew Clennell, the guy that leaks the numbers most days. (He’s also been right on lockdowns and other major announcements)

I’d say it’s the preferred option and NSW health are just working the numbers to see if they can make it safe.

In the national lockdown last year hair cuts were permitted but nail / beauty was not.

 

[nutwood]

I can't help thinking that we are approaching the stage where Government needs to step back and let the situation sort itself. Make vaccines as readily available as possible then butt out.
Biggest problem with this approach are the States with no Covid problem. I have no answer to this one. They can hang on but eventually it's a defeatist policy. At this point in time we'd be better off to let it rip and deal with the problem. Covid is not going away, it's either today or tomorrow.

 

[Batterytraveller]

I can't help thinking that we are approaching the stage where Government needs to step back and let the situation sort itself. Make vaccines as readily available as possible then butt out.

This would be a great idea for about 10 days, or as long as it takes for hospitals to get overwhelmed.

 

[Seat0B]

Just to confirm the haircut thing was a leak from Andrew Clennell, the guy that leaks the numbers most days. (He’s also been right on lockdowns and other major announcements)

I’d say it’s the preferred option and NSW health are just working the numbers to see if they can make it safe.

In the national lockdown last year hair cuts were permitted but nail / beauty was not.

I would be extremely underwhelmed if the permitted activity were to be haircuts. I think they have to be pretty careful not to cheese people off by offering an incentive that is not really valued by anyone much. In my circles, people are getting pretty jack of complying, complying, complying only to find the goal posts keep moving.

 

[ketsuzei]

t we are approaching the stage where Government needs to step back and let the situation sort itself.

Approaching, but still two to three months away.

 

[nutwood]

This would be a great idea for about 10 days, or as long as it takes for hospitals to get overwhelmed.

Appreciate the point but we are a wealthy and resourceful country. If our health system is inadequate, perhaps it needs to be overwhelmed in order for improvements to be made.

 

[ketsuzei]

If our health system is inadequate, perhaps it needs to be overwhelmed

At this point in time we'd be better off to let it rip and deal with the problem

Why now, when it's so utterly obvious that increased vaccination will make a massive difference?

 

[justinbrett]

I would be extremely underwhelmed if the permitted activity were to be haircuts. I think they have to be pretty careful not to cheese people off by offering an incentive that is not really valued by anyone much. In my circles, people are getting pretty jack of complying, complying, complying only to find the goal posts keep moving.

It was always going to be a token effort.

Whatever it is it will be enforceable (ie, that rules out any home visits) and probably something where you actually have to prove your vaccination status (ie commercial)

Although sold as relief the main purpose of this is to drive vaccinations up. Haircuts might not be on the top of the list for what people want, but I’ve heard a lot of people grumble mildly about the lack of them. I guess we’ll see.

 

[drron]

Appreciate the point but we are a wealthy and resourceful country. If our health system is inadequate, perhaps it needs to be overwhelmed in order for improvements to be made.

About 6 weeks ago the Tasmanian hospital system was in crisis with the 4 major hospitals all ramped.There were about 70 medical patients in or outside EDs waiting for a bed.there were none.
And that was without a single covid patient.Tasmania can't do what you suggest.

 

[nutwood]

Why now, when it's so utterly obvious that increased vaccination will make a massive difference?

Why not now? I appreciate the point being made and to me it emphasises the deficiencies in those making the decisions. Lock-downs and border closures are easy. Emergency powers; done deal. Long term damage is like credit card debt; when it's not your credit card.

 

[ketsuzei]

Why not now?

Because the number of deaths and serious cases will be massively lower if we wait the remaining two or three months to get most people vaccinated?

There's plenty of room for arguing about how things have been handled to date, for example, I believe we should have been prepared to stress our medical system a little more in order to bring Australian citizens and residents back home.

But this close to the finish line, it's like you want COVID-19 to do a Bradbury.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

hmm NSW to allow one thing ..... international travel?

*mind blown*

 

[nutwood]

About 6 weeks ago the Tasmanian hospital system was in crisis with the 4 major hospitals all ramped.There were about 70 medical patients in or outside EDs waiting for a bed.there were none.
And that was without a single covid patient.Tasmania can't do what you suggest.

The problem with Tasmanian hospitals is lack of staff, not lack of facility. I've been in the position of being an emergency entrant and having to act nurse to the guy stitching me back together. Absolutely no complaints and actually very happy to assist, but if I hadn't been so inclined, I'd have been there overnight, until they had a proper nurse to pass things.

 

[nutwood]

Because the number of deaths and serious cases will be massively lower if we wait the remaining two or three months to get most people vaccinated?

There's plenty of room for arguing about how things have been handled to date, for example, I believe we should have been prepared to stress our medical system a little more in order to bring Australian citizens and residents back home.

But this close to the finish line, it's like you want COVID-19 to do a Bradbury.

Fair comment. Let's define a specific date for this finish line. On this specific date, restrictions within Australia will be: xx_xx_ and will remain such.
I genuinely don't care what "xx_xx_x" is because restrictions can be worked with. Uncertainty cannot!

 

[ketsuzei]

The problem with Tasmanian hospitals is lack of staff

I honestly fail to see how exposing more than the necessary number of staff to COVID-19 would improve that situation.

 

[blackcat20]

Hospitals are already struggling, I waited four hours the other week for my 5mo with breathing difficulties to be seen.

 

[nutwood]

I honestly fail to see how exposing more than the necessary number of staff to COVID-19 would improve that situation.

Appropriate staff numbers for number of wards would be a good start. No point having shining new facilities and no-one to staff them! With regard to Covid 19, it's the unfortunate lot of health professionals to deal with sick people. Full vaccination and appropriate PPE? People sick from Covid is an unfortunate reality. If not now, then later. I can't see the world eliminating this one.

 

[ayebee]

As a (former) frequent traveller to Japan, I have long lauded their habit of public making wearing at the slightest sign of a sniffle, and have readily adopted that approach myself. In fact, the masks I used at the start of this whole thing we’re ones I had bought in the 100 yen shops of Tokyo for exactly that purpose. I personally don’t find a surgical mask too much of an embuggerance and would love it if we adopted sensible mask wearing as a social value here in Australia for the future. I’ve lost had the flu at least twice in my life despite flu shots, and would definitely prefer never to have it again.

we arrived in Japan from US in Feb 2020 just as covid was rearing its ugly head. There was another Princess (Diamond?) cruise ship in the news, and we were quite embarrassed we could not for any money buy a mask to wear when everyone else was.

BUT the main reason I am replying to your post is that I picked up a new word ... embuggerance ... which is so descriptive.
I plan to use when I get the opportunity (but not here on AFF). I hope you don't mind.