Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[lovetravellingoz]

That is no different to any other occupation that requires human contact.

Hairdressers, beauty therapists etc were meant to wear PPE.

Would you expect staff in Nursing Homes to be all kitted up if there were no reports of any infections?

What do you mean no reports of infections?

If that report was accurate it said that it was the first time they had seen guards in PPE. NSW has had many cases of CV19 since the pandemic started.


With aged care then yes Covid 19 has gotten in to many facilities. It has not always end well.

 

[jakeseven7]

SA could delay reopening its border with NSW after community transmission surges with multiple outbreaks

'At this stage we have to put a question mark around lifting the border on Monday the 20th with both the New South Wales and ACT. We are going to be looking at their new infections tomorrow very carefully... We can see what happens when this disease gets away from a state' Marshall says SA officials would particularly be watching the Crossroads hotel cluster.

 

[jase05]

SA could delay reopening its border with NSW after community transmission surges with multiple outbreaks

'At this stage we have to put a question mark around lifting the border on Monday the 20th with both the New South Wales and ACT. We are going to be looking at their new infections tomorrow very carefully... We can see what happens when this disease gets away from a state' Marshall says SA officials would particularly be watching the Crossroads hotel cluster.

I wasn’t aware a date had been set for July 20th. I thought Marshall decided a week or so ago that SA wouldn’t announce a date to open the border with NSW and ACT

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And I'll say again - that situation is no different to any hospital worker, child care worker, nursing home worker, teacher, etc etc that mixes socially after work having had quite intimate in some cases, contact with their clients, then returning to work the next day.

I am talking about what they do at work and not socially. So just to be clear I do not find it remarkable that they socialised outside of work. My question is that are security guards at detention centers and prisons meant to wear PPE when at work in situations where they may need to get within 1.5m of people?

I thought that anyone whose job had them entering within 1.5m of another adult was meant to have PPE on? (Well this has probably been relaxed in some states now....though again if the article was accurate the guards had never worn it).

Also if not a problem, why only since Sunday has PPE appeared? Earlier in the pandemic there were far more case of CV19 about. So if donned now for Crossroads, why not donned previously when CV 19 was more rife in NSW? If not a problem what are they now wearing it?

Now maybe what was stated in the report was wrong. Maybe the guards never have to wear it. Maybe that is the case with all of our prisons. If so then I am extra glad that I am not a prisoner in a pandemic.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I wasn’t aware a date had been set for July 20th. I thought Marshall decided a week or so ago that SA wouldn’t announce a date to open the border with NSW and ACT

When they closed the border to Vic, they said they would still look at opening to NSW and ACT on the 20th but it would depend how things went. Clearly not great at the moment

 

[Pushka]

Hairdressers, beauty therapists etc were meant to wear PPE.






What do you mean no reports of infections?

If that report was accurate it said that it was the first time they had seen guards in PPE. NSW has had many cases of CV19 since the pandemic started.


With aged care then yes Covid 19 has gotten in to many facilities. It has not always end well.

My hairdresser has never worn PPE equipment and hasnt been required to. She will wear it if a customer wants her to. The staff at grandsons child care center do not wear PPE and they feed and change nappies, carry the kids etc etc.

No reports of infections - Surely you must realise that I was referring to a Nursing Home where there has been no reports of infections and it wasnt a general motherhood statement of nursing homes as everyone is well aware that there have been some awful situations in nursing homes and similarly you must realise that i was referring to infections in the detention centres and not covid infections in all states. I have no idea what else to say to you.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Surely you must realise that I was referring to a Nursing Home where there has been no reports of infections

Exactly the situation I am talking about. Many of the nursing homes have been infected by a worker catching CV19 and bringing it in with them. So the nursing home is infection free till a worker brings it in. Now some will have been via a visitor, but most seem to have been via staff.

Whereas in a hospital it is mainly the other way around. The PPE is to protect the nurse from the patient. In Vic at present protocols have been raised and staff now have to act at all times as if anyone may be CV19 positive including all staff and patients. This was due to staff getting infected outside of the workplace and then infecting other staff.

 

[drron]

There is no direction for Detention centre or prison staff to wear PPE unless there is an outbreak in their centre.The staff however should be monitored for fever and respiratory symptoms.
The PDF of guidelines.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) Outbreaks in Correctional and Detention Facilities
CDNA National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of COVID‐19 Outbreaks in Correctional and Detention Facilities in Australia

I presume they are now wearing masks as they may have had contact with those that visited the Crossroads hotel.

Just breaking a staff member at the Mantra Hotel in Melbourne which is housing Asylum seekers has tested positive.Apparently hasn't been at work recently and has limited contact with anyone at work.

'It's like a cruise ship in here': Asylum seekers 'terrified' after COVID-19 infection in Melbourne detention hotel

A worker at a hotel in Melbourne housing asylum seekers has tested positive for COVID-19.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

There is no direction for Detention centre or prison staff to wear PPE unless there is an outbreak in their centre.The staff however should be monitored for fever and respiratory symptoms.
The PDF of guidelines.


I presume they are now wearing masks as they may have had contact with those that visited the Crossroads hotel.

Just breaking a staff member at the Mantra Hotel in Melbourne which is housing Asylum seekers has tested positive.Apparently hasn't been at work recently and has limited contact with anyone at work.

'It's like a cruise ship in here': Asylum seekers 'terrified' after COVID-19 infection in Melbourne detention hotel

A worker at a hotel in Melbourne housing asylum seekers has tested positive for COVID-19.

www.sbs.com.au

Well I hope that he practised physical distancing at all times when at work, and when this was not possible had PPE on.

Though given the timelines:

On Monday, the Home Affairs Department confirmed to SBS News a worker at the Preston hotel tested positive on 8 July after developing symptoms the day before.​

​

A spokesperson for the department said the individual had not worked at the detention facility since 4 July and did not display symptoms for several days after.​

hopefully he did not have a significant viral load on 4th July. But many people do have very high viral loads in their pre-symptomatic phase and so that may have cut it very fine.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Anyway, that will be enough on prisons and detention centres from me. My mind just wondered about the what if......

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW imposes restrictions in response to coronavirus surge


Group bookings at pubs in New South Wales will slashed back from 20 to a maximum of 10, under new COVID rules decided at a special meeting of State Cabinet ministers this evening..

The ABC understands large venues will not be allowed to have more than 300 patrons, under the new restrictions to be unveiled tomorrow by the Berejiklian Government.

Sources have told the ABC there will also be stricter requirements for venues to collect contact details of patrons in case of an outbreak.

It comes after an outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney’s south west, which so far has 21 confirmed coronavirus cases.

 

[nutwood]

NSW imposes restrictions in response to coronavirus surge


Group bookings at pubs in New South Wales will slashed back from 20 to a maximum of 10, under new COVID rules decided at a special meeting of State Cabinet ministers this evening..

The ABC understands large venues will not be allowed to have more than 300 patrons, under the new restrictions to be unveiled tomorrow by the Berejiklian Government.

Sources have told the ABC there will also be stricter requirements for venues to collect contact details of patrons in case of an outbreak.

It comes after an outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney’s south west, which so far has 21 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Hmmm, too little too late I suspect, whilst hoping to be proven wrong!

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW scrambles to contain multiple coronavirus outbreaks, considers broader restrictions, comes under criticism for handling of outbreak - source still not identified

Infectious disease experts say Sydney can avoid a Melbourne-style second lockdown if it stops multiple clusters of community transmission through hard "ring fencing", compulsory mask wearing and a renewed focus on social distancing.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said if another outbreak occurred that could not be traced to the Casula cluster then restrictions would need to be considered again.

"If we see any emergence of cases that are not linked to either known cases or the Crossroads attendance on those days, then obviously that will lead us to reflect on additional measures," she said.

Meanwhile, NSW contact tracers have failed to locate the source of the outbreaks, drawing criticism of the states response to the clusters. NSW health authorities are still investigating whether a truck driver could be the outbreak's "patient zero“.

A truck driver could be 'patient zero' in Sydney pub's coronavirus cluster

NSW health authorities are investigating the theory a truck driver could be "patient zero" in a coronavirus outbreak linked to a south-west Sydney pub.

mobile.abc.net.au

Melbourne's 'unique' COVID-19 clusters different to Sydney as it tries to avoid second coronavirus lockdown

Infectious disease experts say Sydney can avoid a second Melbourne-style lockdown if it stops multiple clusters of community transmission through hard "ring fencing", compulsory masks and a renewed focus on social distancing.

mobile.abc.net.au

NSW to tighten restrictions as COVID-19 Casula cluster rises to 21

Pub group booking limits are set to decrease again as the Crossroads Hotel COVID-19 cases swell and health authorities trace a case to The Star casino in Pyrmont.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Gremlin]

On ABC Drive Radio last night Prof Sutton talked about the AHPPC having 'ongoing and robust' discussion on the merits of suppression versus elimination. He said that there had been some further 'detailed thinking' about the different strategies and implied the position may be changing in terms of their recommendation.

The catalyst being that if suppression comes with see-sawing of restrictions as we're now seeing in Vic, and potentially emerging in NSW, then both the physical and mental health cost is expected to be far greater, as well as the economic cost.

Ultimately the decision will rest with pollies and any decision is predicated on a hope that both the Vic outbreak and the emerging Sydney clusters can be controlled, otherwise it's just a theoretical discussion. But it was quite clear that the AHPPC's current recommendation is not sacrosanct.

 

[jase05]

I must be one of the few remaining people in Australia who hasn’t been to the Crossroads pub in the last month

https://twitter.com/x/status/1282816073448882176

 

[SydneySwan]

I must be one of the few remaining people in Australia who hasn’t been to the Crossroads pub in the last month

https://twitter.com/x/status/1282816073448882176

I am hanging my head in shame - I haven't been there either - very unAustralian!

 

[Pushka]

On ABC Drive Radio last night Prof Sutton talked about the AHPPC having 'ongoing and robust' discussion on the merits of suppression versus elimination. He said that there had been some further 'detailed thinking' about the different strategies and implied the position may be changing in terms of their recommendation.

The catalyst being that if suppression comes with see-sawing of restrictions as we're now seeing in Vic, and potentially emerging in NSW, then both the physical and mental health cost is expected to be far greater, as well as the economic cost.

Ultimately the decision will rest with pollies and any decision is predicated on a hope that both the Vic outbreak and the emerging Sydney clusters can be controlled, otherwise it's just a theoretical discussion. But it was quite clear that the AHPPC's current recommendation is not sacrosanct.

Im not sure how much Suttons opinion right now carries much weight Federally. Apparently he favours a NZ solution.

NSW is declaring hot spot lockdowns now. And Qld has just nominated several NSW areas at hot spots and not able to visit Qld.

 

[drron]

If this article is correct then the top levels of the Victorian DHHS and those of Emergency Management Victoria should resign.Probably behind paywall so a couple of points.

The first email raising concerns was sent by a senior bureaucrat at the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions within 24 hours of the March 28 launch of the program.
It was addressed to several senior officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which was the leading agency for the day-to-day management of hotel quarantine, according to an Emergency Management Victoria operational document seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
"We request that Victoria Police is present 24/7 at each hotel starting from this evening. We ask that DHHS urgently make that request as the control agency," the email read.

After an incident in which a traveller left his room to smoke at 3am, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions official sent a second email on March 30 demanding that DHHS request police support, suggesting private security companies were "not adequate" to guard the hotels.

The email recommended DHHS ban quarantined travellers from leaving their rooms for any reason, including exercise.
A top official from Emergency Management Victoria responded to the request by saying police were not required because guards could call triple zero if a situation warranted police involvement.

Leaked emails reveal government knew of problems on day one of hotel quarantine

Correspondence between government departments shows top government bureaucrats were concerned about the role of security guards in the program, requesting police be called in to replace them.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

All footage Ive seen on tv is of people waiting in their cars to be tested - what happens to people like myself who dont own a car? Are there not walk in cliniques anywhere?

 

[p--and--t]

and mental health cost is expected to be far greater, as well as the economic cost.

It is still early days, but i find it interesting the contrast in public statements of certain experts and the official published figures.

Contrary to horrendous forecasts, initially at least, compared to previous years the level of suicide in AU has dropped by a third during the first half of this year.

While I haven't seen any comparative figures, there are certainly many reports of increased usage of mental health support services (but I haven't seen any published figures that establish this as being factual). Are these people using the services in the same cohort who are normally at significant risk of drastic action or a new cohort of people who see the signs in themselves and taking action early. Or maybe so much attention in the media is having a significant effect to reverse the increasing trend of the last 5 years.

Not being in the field, I have no idea or visibility why the figures are lower, perhaps the fears that mental health issues would skyrocket pushed the government into significant extra funding and resources have assisted. Given the majority in the past are males who are not in the elderly group (that may be living alone), perhaps less opportunity when you are forced into lock-down with other family members and thus less opportunity. Perhaps WFH changes the dynamic of peer pressure etc at work. Perhaps the less intrusive and less costly availability of bulk billed telephone consults is a better method of providing services.

Will in the longer term, the current lower trend continue, or will the figures return to the previous upward trend line or worse, I guess only time will tell.