Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[SydneySwan]

I hear that Dear Leader in the Tasmanian bubble / DPRT has extended the state of emergency for another 2 months.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

ABC Covid blog mention the pandemic leave for cross border communities

Government expands access to pandemic leave payment

Border community residents who live in NSW or SA but work in Victoria will now be eligible for the Federal Government's pandemic leave payment.

The $1,500 disaster payment is already provided to Victorian workers who are required to self-isolate due to COVID-19, if they don't have other sick leave entitlements that would cover them.

The payment was made available to Tasmanians this week under a deal between the Federal Government and the State Government there.

Now people who do not live in Victoria, but are unable to show up to work in the state, will be included in the scheme.

People who are required to self-isolate can apply for the payment by calling 180 22 66.

You can access the payment if you're required to isolate and miss work on separate occasions.

The scheme has been offered to other states and territories, if they consider they are disaster-affected and are willing to share costs with the Commonwealth.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Additional NSW schools

The NSW Education department confirmed that Double Bay Public School and Homebush Public School had closed on Friday afternoon after staff members tested positive.
“A Double Bay Public School staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, as well as a staff member at the Cubbyhouse Childcare, an out of school hours centre located at Homebush Public School,” a spokesman said.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs.”

 

[RooFlyer]

yes @SydneySwan , the First Secretary of Tasmania, Peter Gutwein, has announced that the state's State of Emergency will continue for 2 more months (at least); didn't need Parliament's approval (I bet Premier Andrews is jealous). This with no community transmission for 3 or more months now.

But, in accord with his policy of perestroika and glasnost, Dear Leader has announced that, following his allowing darts and 8-ball last Friday, today's balm for the proles is that his Beneficence will allow the Bride and Groom to have the 'first dance' at weddings. (But that's it.) I fear he's just lost the vote of Iranian Ayatollahs.

 

[jb747]

That graphic was as of the 27th. Today's (as of the 28th) new cases are now out by LGA and there are still none listed for Wodonga.
Wodonga is still shown as zero active cases.

Perhaps this is unrelated. But, on and off over the past two months, we've heard more or less the same story. Two people in Albury infected by someone from Wodonga. It's been used to justify some extraordinarily unfriendly behaviour by people whom we thought were friends. At no point, thus far, has that ever been backed up.

Jack is fine, and lives in NSW.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Perhaps this is unrelated. But, on and off over the past two months, we've heard more or less the same story. Two people in Albury infected by someone from Wodonga. It's been used to justify some extraordinarily unfriendly behaviour by people whom we thought were friends. At no point, thus far, has that ever been backed up.

Jack is fine, and lives in NSW.

Since the pandemic started Wodonga has had 2 cases.

One on 6 July and one on 27 July. So not exactly a hotspot

Also if I am reading the NSW data correctly Albury has had 11 cases. So maybe the Wodongans need to be more worried about the Alburians


Caveat. Cases can be recorded at a different address than where the person may be. But given that there has only been two cases it is a pretty fair assumption that cases in Wodonga are rare.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

NSW Health must now be on edge. 4 consecutive evening for another alert...taking a leaf out of Qld’s playbook

NSW Health Alert: 14 day guidelines for Aged Care visitors
28 August 2020
The current Sydney CBD outbreak involves people who have travelled from multiple areas in the Sydney metropolitan and Central Coast areas. As a precaution NSW Health is extending existing visitor restrictions by strongly advising people who live or work in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area and Central Coast to refrain from visiting aged care facilities until 12 September.
Staff are also requested to wear masks when working in these facilities.
There is currently no evidence of any cases in aged care residents or staff in aged care facilities in NSW. These are precautionary steps to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into this vulnerable setting.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Victoria’s headline number is 94 new cases and 18 deaths - first day down to double digit new cases.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The additional locations just keep piling up - that day of 1 new case seems to be a mirage

Two Sydney sports clubs exposed to virus

Two Sydney sports clubs have been exposed to coronavirus, with those who have visited the locations advised to self-isolate.
Randwick Golf Club, in Sydney’s east, closed on Friday afternoon after it was notified of a positive case that had attended the clubhouse on Tuesday, August 25.
Mosman Rowers, on the city’s north shore also advised a COVID-positive patron frequented the venue on Monday, August 24 between 11.00am and midday, and again on Tuesday, August 25 from 9.00am to 9.30am.

 

[Pushka]

I wonder how many infections a day that Australia is ok to deal with to resume a post covid life. Back in March there was an anticipated thousands of people in ICU pretty much in every state. Never came close to maybe 100 at one time Australia wide. While the number of infections in Europe has increased, I read today that the illness doesnt seem as serious and is requiring less hospital intervention. In reality, other than the Nursing Home dire situation, possibly that has also been the case with the second wave Victoria situation. We simply beat Europe to the second wave.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

About 40 new cases added to Qld contact tracing venues.



Pimpama

Coomera

Oxenford

Southport

Toowoomba

Forest Lake

Indooroopilly

Woolloongabba

Larapinta

Redland Bay

Please review the list again Contact tracing — coronavirus (COVID-19)

 

[SydneySwan]

Victoria’s headline number is 94 new cases and 18 deaths - first day down to double digit new cases.

Great to see the daily number of new cases decline but deaths aren’t. I wonder what the 7 day average on deaths is? I know deaths are a lagging indicator but It seems if you are living in an aged care facility in Melbourne and catch Covid your chances of survival are not that great. No wonder NSW has now closed aged care facilities to visitors in Sydney with the sudden uptick if cases here.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I wonder how many infections a day that Australia is ok to deal with to resume a post covid life. Back in March there was an anticipated thousands of people in ICU pretty much in every state. Never came close to maybe 100 at one time Australia wide. While the number of infections in Europe has increased, I read today that the illness doesnt seem as serious and is requiring less hospital intervention. In reality, other than the Nursing Home dire situation, possibly that has also been the case with the second wave Victoria situation. We simply beat Europe to the second wave.

Perhaps it’s now not a matter of the number.

Hotspot declarations, causing city-wide Covid alerts at venues And lockdown of aged care, disability care and more PPE use at hospitals (and presumably police/ADF, etc).

I think NSW is trying to demonstrate and incorporate Australia’s intended best practice - they just announced the aged care lockdown, following Qld’s Initiative a few weeks ago.

Don’t forget NSW cabinet was talking 250 cases per day, but it would be down to the CHO and what was being found on tracing the source, and how confident s/he was that the region could track down to the last generation.

10 community transmission (unknown source) cases in a day? That would mean potentially 100 in a week - 3 generations. I’m guessing now with this second wave data AHPPC Or Federal CMO/DCMOs will try to figure out either a number or number per 100,000 for regional lockdown - ie when was Melbourne a problem and Sydney still not a problem? Melbourne/Victoria got to about 100 cases per day before the NSW/Vic border was getting restricted. Though NSW were getting vocal at 20 per day (start of Vic school holidays?)

 

[Pushka]

Hotspot declarations, causing city-wide Covid alerts at venues And lockdown of aged care, disability care and more PPE use at hospitals (and presumably police/ADF, etc).

Yes, way back in February the plan was once the first wave had receeded, that suburb/industry close downs was the way to manage this and try to return to some kind of normal. Unfortunately the quarantine mismanagement threw those plans out the door but its time to revisit. They certainly need to protect aged care homes, and hospitals etc, and with better infection control (masks for staff and visitors, who would be limited); better payments for staff there who are sick and so they stay home, and dont work at multiple facilities and so on) I'm thinking that is very much Morrisons agenda.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

New cases and growth based on 7 day averages.

While deaths will sadly keep happening for weeks yet, it is pleasing to have the new cases back in two digits and moreso that the evidence is strong that the new daily cases will continue to on average plummet each day.
erages.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Yes, way back in February the plan was once the first wave had receeded, that suburb/industry close downs was the way to manage this and try to return to some kind of normal. Unfortunately the quarantine mismanagement threw those plans out the door but its time to revisit. They certainly need to protect aged care homes, and hospitals etc, and with better infection control (masks for staff and visitors, who would be limited); better payments for staff there who are sick and so they stay home, and dont work at multiple facilities and so on) I'm thinking that is very much Morrisons agenda.

Yes, but for whatever reason the suburb hotspot Didn’t seem to work given normal movements in cities (MELb, Syd, SE QLD)

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Qld having a super-late press conference today at 1130 - brace yourself?

Three COVID cases impacting western Brisbane netball

Western Districts Netball Association (WDNA) in Brisbane posted a letter from Queensland Health on social media last night, advising there were now three cases of COVID-19 infections linked to attendees of Graceville netball courts on August 22.

The letter said health authorities are liaising with netball teams to identify close contacts requiring quarantine.

The WDNA said all facilities underwent a "hazmat deep clean" yesterday, while training and competition had previously been suspended until September 4.

Anyone who has been unwell in the past week — even with mild symptoms — is urged to self-isolate and attend the nearest testing or fever clinic.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yes, way back in February the plan was once the first wave had receeded, that suburb/industry close downs was the way to manage this and try to return to some kind of normal.

Yes that was the plan.

Unfortunately the quarantine mismanagement threw those plans out the door but its time to revisit.

Yes back in June when it was taking off I was asking why were these local hotspot measures not being brought in. They were stated back at the start to be part of the plan, but when it was evident that there was a case surge on, they were brought in too slowly.

The second wave in NZ had demonstrated that rapid and early hotspot management can be used to stop the growth of of Covid 19. Though even NZ is most likely considering whether they need something stricter to fully eliminate it a second time.

So for myself, a key lesson for all is that if a region ever experiences a new outbreak is to jump on it quickly with appropriate hotspot controls. The quicker those controls are, the less harsh they will need to be.

They certainly need to protect aged care homes, and hospitals etc, and with better infection control (masks for staff and visitors, who would be limited); better payments for staff there who are sick and so they stay home, and dont work at multiple facilities and so on) I'm thinking that is very much Morrisons agenda.

It needs to be ScoMos agenda as the Federal Gov is the one who is responsible for setting the standards and in monitoring them for aged care. The aged care facilities that I am aware who have done well in Vic are those that were stricter than what the Federal Government required. The ones that have done appallingly would seem in the main to have based on public information to have been well below what was. Though with widespread community spread even the best run aged care, and indeed hospitals, are going to be vulnerable.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Purported Qld view

How long can Queensland go it alone on border closures?

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk appears lukewarm to the idea of a national framework for future border closures during COVID-19 outbreaks, writes Peter McCutcheon.

www.abc.net.au

 

[p--and--t]

Yes, but for whatever reason the suburb hotspot Didn’t seem to work given normal movements in cities (MELb, Syd, SE QLD)

I would hazard a guess many suburbs would have dozens and dozens of entry/exit points (including through back/side fence one house to another).

A myriad of reasons why it would be valid to cross the boundary (shopping doctors xray dentists work chemist post-office hospital bank) almost impossible to police.

Easier to close borders than a suburb and less voter backlash

[Edit: Please don't surmise an observation of circumstance as support either way]