Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Pushka]

well judging from the view out my window right now I guess there won't be any planes flying around

Ah nah.



The retro red roo

 

[dajop]

The positivity rate is trending upwards (is accelerating) and that is not a good sign at all. To gain control you need for it to be decreasing.

As it is two weeks since the "lockdown" of key hotspot postcodes it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few days, particularly in those postcodes. But I guess we still have another week to run, before we see the impact (or not) of the lockdown across the whole of Melbourne.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And I just happened to be there looking for the Covid Car parked at the airport. Premier Marshall in tan trousers and blue jacket with back to me and his clone to his left.

View attachment 222392

It would be most welcome to be in the position that the main Covid 19 news story within one's state was just a number plate

 

[I love to travel]

I am getting a horrible feeling that in early August Qld borders will be closed to all and my family visit won't happen. Shutting down 2 LGAs won't do anything practical to stop spread into Qld if it's going to happen. The genie has left the bottle.

 

[Pushka]

It would be most welcome to be in the position that the main Covid 19 news story within one's state was just a number plate

And the first main news item isn’t Covid. I’m so sorry for Victorian’s. So many of our clients there are just not doing well at all. Sad times.

 

[Kendall Roy]

I am getting a horrible feeling that in early August Qld borders will be closed to all and my family visit won't happen. Shutting down 2 LGAs won't do anything practical to stop spread into Qld if it's going to happen. The genie has left the bottle.

I agree, it's a way of easing us into another state-wide closure at the NSW/QLD border.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

As it is two weeks since the "lockdown" of key hotspot postcodes it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few days, particularly in those postcodes. But I guess we still have another week to run, before we see the impact (or not) of the lockdown across the whole of Melbourne.

Unfortunately I think that quite a significant number of people will not have altered many of their bad behaviours so promptly though.

For example when the Melbourne wide lockdown was announced the reaction by some was to book out all the restaurant and pubs for last drinks (Covid 19). The last thing that I would have done, but many chose to go out and mix when they knew a surge was on.

Many parties were cracked down upon in the first few days of the greater Melbourne lockdown. Some were gamblers playing cards at private houses, some were birthday parties, some were just groups gathering...

My "gut" feel is that it will have taken the very high new cases numbers of the last week , including new deaths, to more drive the message home that this is really serious and that everyone needs to alter their behaviour. That Bachar's Houli's mum is in the ICU at present may also drive the message home to more.

On the plus side yes mobility data shows that most have amended behaviours. But we need more than most. We need the minority of those with bad behaviours (and in some cases that may have been through ignorance or mistrust of authorities) to come on board. We also need the majority to be more cautious too.

 

[Himeno]

There are definitely walk in clinics around, I went to one in Melbourne.

Some of the locations they put these testing clinics is confusing.
Canberra has 3 hospitals and 4 nurse practitioner run walk in centers. Only 1 of them has Covid testing (and it isn't the hospitals).
They have a drive thru testing center at the showgrounds (EPIC) and a testing clinic at the Aboriginal health and community center.
Then there are 2 testing clinics at regular GPs.

ACT Health then opened 2 more testing locations over the weekend after the new cases came out late last week. One at the temporary 51 bed Covid Surge Centre and one at a Child & Family Centre (which I didn't even know existed prior to the extra testing site announcement, and this location appears to be the closest to me).

Canberra currently has, 2 by appointment only, 3 walk in, 1 drive thru and 1 both walk in and drive thru.

Last week, I asked ACT Health what Canberra's testing capacity was, and they only said that the EPIC drive through and the Western Creek Walk in had a daily capacity of 500. No mention of the other clinics or what the test processing rate was (or if that was 500 each for those 2 sites, or 500 total).


It's all good if they put in extra testing sites (such as the drive through site they put in at the SW Sydney pub), but even if you take 10,000 tests a day, can they process those 10,000 tests that same day?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

With Crossroads...it seems that they will be awaiting the genomic sequencing to be done to try and provide more of a clue as to the source. (Though yes contact tracing will still be occurring).

PS Most new Vic cases have a quite different genomic sequence (and hence source) than the first spike. Rumour is and not confirmed that the Vic spike comes from two sources and both security guards. Whether the person/s in hotel quarantine who would have been the actual source has been identified has not been said or even hinted at.

 

[dajop]

That Bachar's Houli's mum is in the ICU at present may also drive the message home to more.

I think with the publicity around Bachar Houli - this could go either way. One part of it is strong promotion of the need to take it seriously in part of the community that Bachar Houli represents, the flipside is potential reinforce the idea that this is a problem mainly for that part of the community, and not others.

But on balance, I think the publicity around this is a good thing.

 

[Himeno]

That Bachar's Houli's mum is in the ICU at present may also drive the message home to more.

Would that not require someone to know who Bachar's Houli is?

 

[drron]

Would that not require someone to know who Bachar's Houli is?

I think it pretty likely that people in Melbourne would know about him particularly in the original lockdown suburbs.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I think with the publicity around Bachar Houli - this could go either way. One part of it is strong promotion of the need to take it seriously in part of the community that Bachar Houli represents, the flipside is potential reinforce the idea that this is a problem mainly for that part of the community, and not others.

But on balance, I think the publicity around this is a good thing.

It is not just the community that Bachar Houli, in terms of his faith.

Bachar is extremely well known in Vic, and so his mum being in ICU will it make it a lot more relatable to virtually everyone that it could be their mum in ICU. It puts a face to it. Bachar's mum off the top of my head is probably the most high profile serious case in Victoria to date.

Numbers are are faceless. 26 in ICU is dramatic to me, but it would probably not even register with 90% of people unfortunately. A video of Bachar talking about his mum I think (hopefully correctly) will make a connection with many and not just those of his faith.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Would that not require someone to know who Bachar's Houli is?

That is probably at least 80% of people in Vic.

And within his faith, even the non footy aware will no doubt be more aware of it now.

PS: I assume that you are not a fan of AFL

 

[Lynda2475]

I am getting a horrible feeling that in early August Qld borders will be closed to all and my family visit won't happen. Shutting down 2 LGAs won't do anything practical to stop spread into Qld if it's going to happen. The genie has left the bottle.

I really hope this doesnt happen, Im due to fly north on the 5th and i really need a break for my mental health. I have done all the right things and so angry at the pubs not enforcing rules and travellers who came into NSW from Vic against advice and without waiting for test results etc.

 

[jakeseven7]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1282814220304650246

There are some similarities in these SW Sydney suburbs with the Melbourne hot spot suburbs as well, I wonder what this will actually mean now though in terms of action in Sydney?

 

[Lynda2475]

I assume that you are not a fan of AFL

I'd never heard of him either, and no i dont follow AFL (or any footy), and I doubt many outside of Vic would know him.

I have a very low opinion of footy players (all codes) as constantly seem to be in the news for doing the wrong thing i.e. breaking covid restrictions, breaking the law (drugs, sexual assaults, wife beating, speeding) - so any headline featuring a footy player would be largely ignored by people like me.

I much prefer to take advice of health professionals over sports people or other celebrities.

 

[jakeseven7]

'We are in a stage of high alert': 28 cases now linked to Sydney cluster, aged care facility in lockdown

Queensland has declared two Sydney council areas COVID-19 hotspots and banned anyone who has travelled to suburbs within Liverpool and Campbelltown from entering the state under strict new border measures.

Ms Berejiklian said the government was not considering locking down the Liverpool or Campbelltown local government areas, saying the decision by the Queensland Premier to declare them COVID-19 hotspots was “a matter for Queensland

Prestons Lodge residential aged care facility has been placed in lockdown after one of today's confirmed cases visited during their infectious period


South Australia delays border reopening for NSW and ACT

South Australia has delayed their plans to reopen for visitors from NSW and the ACT next week, in light of new coronavirus cases on the east coast.

Speaking to media this morning, Premier Steven Marshall said he knew the delay was "inconvenient" but the "super-spreader" event at the Crossroads Hotel in south-west Sydney meant he would be delaying the border reopening.

Coronavirus updates LIVE: Victoria records 270 new COVID-19 cases as NSW remains on high alert amid Crossroads Hotel cluster growth

Global infections have now surpassed 13 million, climbing by a million in just five days in a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 people.

www.smh.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'd never heard of him either, and no i dont follow AFL (or any footy), and I doubt many outside of Vic would know him.

Whether he is well known outside of Vic is not that relevant to altering behaviours in Vic with respect to Covid19 . Point is that he is a well known person within Vic. Those in Vic probably have a poor knowledge of Rugby players as well. Also in Vic AFL is just as popular with women as with men. It is not that unusual to have families which will have grandma, mother and daughter following one team and grandpa, father and son another.



However I suspect that he would be well known in Vic, Tas, SA, WA and NT.

Many years ago at the company I that I was then I managed the States of Vic, Tas, SA, WA and NT. My official title was oddly the Manager Southern Division which confused all. So instead I just told everyone that I was the Manager Aussie Rules States and then everyone including when I was in NSW or Qld knew exactly what my territory was, especially when I was in WA or the NT problem and and angst solved.

 

[Himeno]

PS: I assume that you are not a fan of AFL

I'm not a fan of sport in general.