Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Must...Fly!]

I think overruling health advice undermines confidence.

How can we ever be sure whether decisions are based on the best health outcomes for us a citizens, or pandering to what business wants. The two seem rarely aligned.

Unfortunately too many businesses are focused on short-term objectives (need to meet next month's rent) rather than the long term: just because you are allowed to open doesn't mean people will come, or that you will have consumer confidence.

Ah, so people are focused on survival then.

I vehemently disagree with your characterisation of businesses seeking to profit at the expense of people's health for so many reasons I can't possibly have the time to list them all.

 

[justinbrett]

I honestly don't know whether businesses give thought to the long term? They might get this month's rent, but what happens when there's a significant ramp up in cases? Are their customers still going to be flocking to their venues? Melbourne 'opened' with almost full return to work permitted. The workers didn't want to come. And they stayed away.

Is it worth one or two week's trading followed by potentially months of no one wanting to visit busy restaurants or pubs?

I don’t think you’re giving any thought to the long term effects to extended lockdowns.

 

[drron]

I think overruling health advice undermines confidence.

How can we ever be sure whether decisions are based on the best health outcomes for us a citizens, or pandering to what business wants. The two seem rarely aligned.

Unfortunately too many businesses are focused on short-term objectives (need to meet next month's rent) rather than the long term: just because you are allowed to open doesn't mean people will come, or that you will have consumer confidence.

Unfortunately the State CHOs are not clinicians.

As a General Physician working in Public hospitals I have seen many examples of health problems including death that almost certainly would not have happened if there had not been lockdowns.I think at least some CHOs are blissfully unaware of this.
Two examples.An elderly woman with dementia who was able to remain at home by herself because she had a caring family and a lot of very good friends who made sure she was visited at least 6 times a day.Within a week of lockdown when those visits stopped she was found wandering the streets and hypothermic.She died a week later.I actually tried to put on the Death Certificate that lockdown was a factor leading to her death but was told not possible and an administrator wrote a new certificate.
A 40 year old who had been disabled from birth.He was still living at home and active pre covid.At the initial lockdown visits from his carers and allied health stopped.Consequence was he had to be placed in care and is now bed bound.

Then there are missed or delayed diagnoses that end up leading to shortened life spans.So I really appreciate the decision that Gladys B and her Cabinet have made.

 

[jb747]

I don’t believe any airline domestically has said that - and clearly since VA2 are loudly opposing the vaccine passport for domestic travel I therefore expect they will definitely not be requiring all passengers to be vaccinated either (from inference)….

Always looking for ways to separate airlines...so we can have VA for the unvaccinated, and QF for the jabbed. Of course, there may be issues for VA actually being allowed to go anywhere.

 

[N860CR]

I think overruling health advice undermines confidence.

Health advise in regards to this virus is one small part of the pie. I actually think we’ve overdone it on the health advise and ignored other critical aspects. To blindly follow the advise of one specific specialization is idiotic. and I do give NSW credit for being the first state to move away from it.

Medical professionals are great at being medical professionals. They’re not great at running a society.

 

[justinbrett]

NSW statewide lockdown ends, with the exception of the following LGAs

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Not getting much from NSW authorities press conference. Here is the press release

Roadmap to freedom unveiled for the fully vaccinated

Stay-at-home orders for adults who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be lifted from the Monday after NSW passes the 70% double vaccination target, under the roadmap to freedom released today.

www.nsw.gov.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

Not getting much from NSW authorities press conference. Here is the press release

Roadmap to freedom unveiled for the fully vaccinated

Stay-at-home orders for adults who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be lifted from the Monday after NSW passes the 70% double vaccination target, under the roadmap to freedom released today.

www.nsw.gov.au

If there was ever a time I actually wanted the NSW/VIC rivalry to exist, now would be it.

 

[Seat0B]

I honestly don't know whether businesses give thought to the long term? They might get this month's rent, but what happens when there's a significant ramp up in cases? Are their customers still going to be flocking to their venues? Melbourne 'opened' with almost full return to work permitted. The workers didn't want to come. And they stayed away.

Is it worth one or two week's trading followed by potentially months of no one wanting to visit busy restaurants or pubs?

It has now reached the stage for many small businesses that if they don't make this month's rent, they won't have to care at all about what happens a couple of months down the track because they will be in receivership and likely personal bankruptcy as well. And that's without considering the other physical and mental health impacts of the severe stress they are living under.

Here in the ACT, the small privately owned gym franchise that I attend has been locked down now for over 5 weeks. They have had to refund everything to members. They still have to pay rent (even if reduced), insurance, membership of professional bodies, electricity and water (even if just the outrageous connection charges), loan interest (even if reduced) and the three owners also need a wage to pay their personal bills etc. The government grants and disaster payments do not cover their on-going costs, let alone give them a wage. They are not even allowed to do outside one-on-one training sessions - these are specifically banned, despite 5 random people being allowed to meet up for exercise. They thought about "randomly walking together and doing a few burpees and push ups along the way", but are really scared about what could happen to them if a COVID case should arise out of this. Big big fines.

So really, I can totally understand the desire to get things open and running asap.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

If there was ever a time I actually wanted the NSW/VIC rivalry to exist, now would be it.

To be honest, I don't think the Victorian authorities would offer much more at 70% double dosed.

At least Victorian authorities have the "luxury" of about 2-3 weeks to see how the opening plays out in Sydney if they can hold off announcing relaxation details for that long.

 

[burmans]

Having read a news article, it sounds like a lot more.

Tomorrow might be must-see TV for Sydney/NSW residents to try to understand all the details.

Looks like NSW authorities are using ABC's and covidlive's 39-day projection lol. Wonder who else got the same date...

I watched the presser today and frankly most had already been leaked.

As for the projection, the same methodology of projecting current numbers out will lead to the same result so not really surprised but I don't think it means they are taking either the ABC or covidlive's projections. My problem with this is I'm not confident this will actually be true, IMO we will run into the vaccine hesitant eventually and take-up rate will slow.

 

[Spongbob]

[...] I vehemently disagree with your characterisation of businesses seeking to profit at the expense of people's health for so many reasons I can't possibly have the time to list them all.

And there are no examples of employers prioritising cost considerations over the health and safety of workers or consumers?
The Boeing 737 MAX problems had nothing to do with profit at the expense of people's health?

 

[Lynda2475]

Melbourne 'opened' with almost full return to work permitted. The workers didn't want to come. And they stayed away.

Yet when Sydney allowed workers to return to office last October, lots of people did and the number grew month on month through to June when we were sent home again.

Sydney CBD (even with some people wfh a few days a week) was positively bustling during business hours for the first half of this year.

Many in NSW keen to get back to working with people face to face not just virtually.

 

[Must...Fly!]

To be honest, I don't think the Victorian authorities would offer much more at 70% double dosed.

At least Victorian authorities have the "luxury" of about 2-3 weeks to see how the opening plays out in Sydney if they can hold off announcing relaxation details for that long.

Don't want a Bunnings "we'll beat it by 5%" policy. Just a standard price match will do on this occasion

And there are no examples of employers prioritising cost considerations over the health and safety of workers or consumers?
The Boeing 737 MAX problems had nothing to do with profit at the expense of people's health?

I could also this thousands of situations where cost has prohibited a better outcome for people but that is not part of the discussion. The government are setting the rules here when it comes to COVID. Just as they set the rules for aviation safety. Their failure on the latter count to allow what happened to occur.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I watched the presser today and frankly most had already been leaked.

As for the projection, the same methodology of projecting current numbers out will lead to the same result so not really surprised but I don't think it means they are taking either the ABC or covidlive's projections. My problem with this is I'm not confident this will actually be true, IMO we will run into the vaccine hesitant eventually and take-up rate will slow.

The better measure is about 6 weeks from first dose % being reached. The current two-dose uptake rate really relates to what was happening 3-6 weeks ago. 70% double dose is a lock - NSW is 74-75% first dose.

Given the formula of first Monday after 70% double dose is reached, there is only a small chance of a variation from 18 October, even as early as 4 October is a possibility.

 

[andye]

NSW Reff below 1 today

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I just hope the message is delivered clearly and precisely. Please no more waffling about possible freedoms but clear-cut statements. The people of NSW need to be treated like adults. My hitlist for reopening is medical services, swimming pools, gyms, community sport, cafes and restaurants.

I think you got everything except community sport.

 

[jakeseven7]

I honestly don't know whether businesses give thought to the long term?

Oh yea totally business never plans for the long term….

 

[Carrots]

Oh yea totally business never plans for the long term….

Plenty of small businesses certainly don't, and lets face it, they're the vast portion of businesses in this country.

 

[jakeseven7]

For those who want to review the Freedom Day restrictions lifting (all which were leaked to Murdoch anyway).

Fully vaccinated people only so sorry anti vaxxers or slow coaches.

——-

Berejiklian outlines roadmap for Freedom Day​

Full details of NSW’s roadmap to freedom revealed

NSW’s roadmap to freedom has been revealed with 70 per cent double dose the target to ease restrictions on a number of industries.

The restrictions will be eased on the Monday after NSW hits 70 per cent double dose. Only fully vaccinated people and those with medical exemptions will have access to the freedoms allowed under the Reopening NSW roadmap.

Full details:

‘You’ve been warned’: Freedom catch for NSW

Welcome to our coverage of NSW’s Covid-19 situation.

www.news.com.au