Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Pushka]

The federal government shouldn't approve any visas for international students to enter SA until the SA government (and WA government for that matter) are forced to allow their own residents to return form Vic (in the case of SA) and all states (in the case of WA) - if an Aussie is willing to quarantine at their own expense there is just no justification for denying them to return home.

Exactly. It is wrong on so many levels.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Victoria’s headline report today is 222 cases and 17 deaths

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Graphs for 7 day average daily cases and growth rate for Vic as of 18 Aug.



And daily numbers over the last week.

 

[moa999]

NSW still struggling with mask advice it seems... A huge majority of people still not wearing them as *encouraged*

While I agree mask wearing is still too low,
This story is a complete union beat-up that's actually all about the delaying the tender process for the operation of 3 of Sydney's bus regions (the only 3 threatening to go on strike).

Drivers already wear masks, the front ticket machine and front row of seats are already blocked off - so a passenger might be 1.5m away for all of 2 seconds.
And if they wanted to avoid that they would allow boarding from the rear door, something that happens all over the world, just not in NSW, again due to the union

 

[RAM]

I don’t know where you got the handover info. But I can tell you from my real life experience that it isn’t happening in my corner of NSW Health. All staff are masked from start of shift until the end, including hand overs.

From 6th Yr med students from 3 large Sydney hospitals over the last month.

Tossing up whether they risk retribution by saying something about it!

 

[RAM]

I agree, but it’s the media who fuel public panic which manipulates government policy. It’s getting pretty frustrating!

To justify my irritation, I've been in Brisbane this week (essential specialist so I can cross the DMZ) and cannot be held responsible for my actions next time someone says “oh youse from Sydney. It’s real bad there!”

They're not actually talking about CV unfortunately!

But all the road tolls....

 

[Lynda2475]

I haven't read all the Ruby Princess report, but were any of the 28 deaths from the cluster people who weren't passengers?

The reason I ask, is because I'm reading there are calls demanding NSW Health compensate families for Covid deaths related to the Ruby Princess cluster. If any of these deaths were a result of community transmission from passengers to the wider community that may be appropriate.

But if you were a passenger on The Ruby Princess, you chose to travel internationally after Covid-19 was a known event and you acquired the virus either in NZ or on-board the Ruby Princess. If acquired on board doesn't that make the cruise line accountable if they didn't adequately inform you that there were suspected cases onboard and didn't isolate them properly (something noted on the 4 Corners Report last night)?

I think we can all agree the way the Ruby Princess arrival back into Sydney was mismanaged was unacceptable, and this resulted in 62 known cases of community transmission. I'm just not sure that makes NSW Health accountable for the cases acquired onboard.

 

[drron]

I'm pretty sure that 2 people who died as a result of the NWRH cluster were not passengers on the Ruby Princess but the index case of that cluster was.

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW records three new cases as testing rates collapse

NSW has recorded just three new coronavirus cases overnight, the lowest daily case total in recent weeks, with NSW Health again flagging low testing rates across the state as a concern.

Two of the new cases were locally acquired in south-west Sydney: one is a close contact of a person linked to the Bankstown funeral cluster, bringing the size of that cluster to 73, and the others are currently under investigation.

Testing rates in the state have remained very low, with just 13,000 tests today after just over 10,000 were recorded on Monday.

NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty pleaded that people with even the mildest symptoms should come forward.

As the day unfolded: Victoria records 222 new COVID-19 cases as Sydney hotel quarantine guard contracts virus; Australian death toll jumps to 438

Victoria has recorded just 222 new coronavirus cases today, its lowest total in a month. In NSW, just three cases were recorded.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Pushka]

I'm pretty sure that 2 people who died as a result of the NWRH cluster were not passengers on the Ruby Princess but the index case of that cluster was.

I think that Tas was hit the worst by Ruby Princess in terms of community spread and deaths. SA had two (of the four in SA) deaths but both were passengers. And over 200 SA passengers from Ruby who developed Covid but I dont think any community spread.

The only people who have a case, I think, are those impacted by the too early release of passngers and not the passenger thenselves. So the taxi drivers for instance who developed Covid and anyone else who caught it from a passneger.

 

[andye]

I haven't read all the Ruby Princess report, but were any of the 28 deaths from the cluster people who weren't passengers?

The reason I ask, is because I'm reading there are calls demanding NSW Health compensate families for Covid deaths related to the Ruby Princess cluster. If any of these deaths were a result of community transmission from passengers to the wider community that may be appropriate.

But if you were a passenger on The Ruby Princess, you chose to travel internationally after Covid-19 was a known event and you acquired the virus either in NZ or on-board the Ruby Princess. If acquired on board doesn't that make the cruise line accountable if they didn't adequately inform you that there were suspected cases onboard and didn't isolate them properly (something noted on the 4 Corners Report last night)?

I think we can all agree the way the Ruby Princess arrival back into Sydney was mismanaged was unacceptable, and this resulted in 62 known cases of community transmission. I'm just not sure that makes NSW Health accountable for the cases acquired onboard.

There was a good article in the Sydney Herald by two Professors yesterday outlining this
The>800 cases that were on board would not have been prevented. Holding them longer on board to test everyone would almost certainly have increased that number
They say that there were 62 secondary or tertiary cases (though they did say that was a minimum). As there was no hotel quarantine, the initially undiagnosed cases would still have likely travelled to their homes. They questioned how well the isolation procedures would have worked in that case.

They say the biggest problem was the decision to start the cruise in the first place

My view is that there would have been more deaths (but not more disruption and interstate spread) overall if the ship had been held. However during the delay I do think the initiation of hotel quarantine (rather than flying/taxis etc home) would have been brought forward.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So with the second wave in both Australia and NZ as it stands today Australia (Vic) has three strains, and NZ two strains ( One source is known via a USA traveller, and one related to the large cluster is not yet known)

 

[Pushka]

They say the biggest problem was the decision to start the cruise in the first place

And that is the $64 million dollar question. Had Princess advised anyone of note that half the passenger list was from overseas and knowing their travelling patterns, very new arrivals, then many passengers and maybe even NSW Health may have had the knowledge to cancel.

 

[OZDUCK]

Whoops.....Perth security napping on the job too? Seems no state can get it right and all residents have a number among them that just don’t care.

——-

Flaws exposed in Perth hotel quarantine: man uses window escape to visit girlfriend multiple times

A man who was ordered to quarantine at Perth’s Mercure Hotel has been accused of fleeing through a window and climbing down a ladder on four occasions to visit his girlfriend.

A witness took pictures of an unknown man who he said repeatedly left Perth's Mercure hotel.


It has been alleged Mr Karakaya then squeezed through the hotel window and used a ladder an acquaintance had brought to scale down to the ground before driving to his girlfriend’s house.

As the day unfolded: Victoria records 222 new COVID-19 cases as Sydney hotel quarantine guard contracts virus; Australian death toll jumps to 438

Victoria has recorded just 222 new coronavirus cases today, its lowest total in a month. In NSW, just three cases were recorded.

www.smh.com.au

Well he has been arrested and is now imprisoned with bail being refused so at least he is being punished appropriately.

 

[Lynda2475]

ABC says " Tasmania's Premier has announced the state's borders will remain closed until at least December 1. "

Qld CHO said Queensland Border will no reopen until NSW and Vic can show 30 days (2 incubation periods) of zero community transmission, so if NSW/ACT and Vic are considered together instead of separately (as they should be) then no hope of being allowed to travel domestically except for the ACT and NSW this year.

If someone had told me at the start of 2020 the only trip Id get to take all year is a long weekend in Canberra I wouldn't have believed it. Time to start researching a few days in Byron.

 

[Denali]

ABC says " Tasmania's Premier has announced the state's borders will remain closed until at least December 1. "

Qld CHO said Queensland Border will no reopen until NSW and Vic can show 30 days (2 incubation periods) of zero community transmission, so if NSW/ACT and Vic are considered together instead of separately (as they should be) then no hope of being allowed to travel domestically except for the ACT and NSW this year.

If someone had told me at the start of 2020 the only trip Id get to take all year is a long weekend in Canberra I wouldn't have believed it. Time to start researching a few days in Byron.

Seems everyone I know/at work is thinking of heading to Bryon. We've got Chrissy bookings for Nelson Bay and spent the Chrissy travel fund on private boat charters to go scuba diving. I rescheduled our 2020 Africa trip to March 2021 - dont see that happening either so its going to be a NSW outback trip to Lake Mungo, Broken Hill, Lightening Ridge ect.

Fingers crossed that Gladys lets us travel that far.

 

[Princess Fiona]

From 6th Yr med students from 3 large Sydney hospitals over the last month.

Tossing up whether they risk retribution by saying something about it!

They definitely should speak up.
I know a ton of colleagues at several large Sydney hospitals, all doing the same as mine. Masks on at start of shift. Worn through handovers.
Would be useful to re-educate any that aren’t. Surprising about the med students though as IME they are as group very likely to speak up when things are wrong.

 

[Lynda2475]

Fingers crossed that Gladys lets us travel that far.

This is what is stopping me booking right now. Last week GB said she wouldn't do LGA lockdowns like Vic, but whole cities. So if South West or Western Sydney or East Sydney get out of control she will lock down greater Sydney and we will all be stuck.

Byron already not affordable for Xmas shut-down (I checked back in Jan when I booked Hawaii),so maybe I'll take myself to Manly Beach that week. I need to pick somewhere I can fly or uber to as I dont drive.

If I head to Byron it will be in Oct to avoid school holidays and schoolies. I have to take a week before Xmas otherwise my leave balance will be too high (something that has never ever happened before) and I will be forced to take whole of December off like some colleagues - which would be the ultimate sin, taking leave to be at home! When we have been no where but home all year, perish the thought!

 

[get me outta here]

After the previous Princess ships and their pandemic disasters, that cruise should never had left. I don't know who has the last word on not allowing anyone to board, but it should've been stopped. Princess hopefully will come into disrepute very soon.

They say the biggest problem was the decision to start the cruise in the first place

 

[drron]

Some people just don't get it.

A decision by staff members to host an unauthorised party at an aged care centre now riddled with COVID-19 cases has been slammed by the facility’s CEO and families of residents.

News.com.au reported on July 29 that six staff members were stood down after it emerged that an unauthorised baby shower had taken place at Epping Gardens in Melbourne’s north where, at the time, there had been no positive coronavirus cases.
The party was discovered by a resident who buzzed for a nurse to attend but no-one came.

Every person infected at baby shower

A decision by staff members to host an unauthorised party at an aged care centre now riddled with COVID-19 cases has been slammed by the facility’s CEO and families of residents.

www.news.com.au

And so far 20 residents have died.There were no positive cases before that time.