Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[p--and--t]

We're getting there!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Are the new cases linked to known infection areas?

Too early for that type of detail. That normally comes out at about the time of the daily Press Conference, but can take till later in the afternoon.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Update on Vic Graphs:

 

[Pushka]

I hope that when new clusters emerge, and they will in the future, that these are handled effectively.

 

[blackcat20]

I hope that when new clusters emerge, and they will in the future, that these are handled effectively.

They seem to have handled the Casey one very well, we can only hope this continues for any potential future outbreaks.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

They seem to have handled the Casey one very well, we can only hope this continues for any potential future outbreaks.

Yes they have handled all the recent clusters well.

ie The Colac family cluster which in some ways would have been harder to control as there were no where near the number of restrictions in place.

The Casey Cluster only got as big as it has as they were breaching the rules. The Casey cluster will probably also mean no Step 3 till cases are zero, or extremely low, for an extended period as they will remain concerned about family transmission spread.

 

[DC3]

... The Casey Cluster only got as big as it has as they were breaching the rules ...

Why are people still doing the wrong thing?

 

[Pushka]

Yes they have handled all the recent clusters well.

ie The Colac family cluster which in some ways would have been harder to control as there were no where near the number of restrictions in place.

The Casey Cluster only got as big as it has as they were breaching the rules. The Casey cluster will probably also mean no Step 3 till cases are zero, or extremely low, for an extended period as they will remain concerned about family transmission spread.

Was it the Colac cluster where the local community started doing the tracing themselves - or maybe it was an employer that started isolating staff himself because no one from Vic Health had contacted them?

 

[blackcat20]

I did read somewhere that the Casey cluster may have involved family members babysitting children.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

With the very recent clusters most have been closed off quite quickly.

Apart from the Casey Family Cluster, the other recent large ones were all workplaces (including Footscray Hospital,Frankston Hospital, Dandenong Police and Vawdreys and aged care (though earlier clusters keep trickling along).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I did read somewhere that the Casey cluster may have involved family members babysitting children.

Victoria's largest coronavirus cluster outside of aged care is centred around five households whose residents broke the stay-at-home rules to travel outside their 5km radius and visit each other, Victorian health authorities say.

The first positive test in the Casey cluster was recorded two weeks ago, on September 4, and it has since grown to 34 cases.

Jeroen Weimar, head of community engagement and testing at the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said the cluster in Melbourne's south-east was spread across five households.


"We have had to undertake a significant and painstaking contact-tracing exercise to actually get to the bottom of which other households were involved and how those households are connected," he said.

"What we've seen is obviously some normal travel that we would expect people to conduct in order to get the necessary things for life … but we've also seen in this particular cluster visiting of houses beyond the 5km radius."


He said the households were located in the suburbs of Hallam, Clyde, Narre Warren South and Cranbourne North, which are all within the City of Casey local government area.

"In this particular cluster we have had, unfortunately, some members of those households visiting other households," Mr Weimar said.

"It is that limited amount of contact, relatively infrequent contact, between these five households that has now meant that we have 34 people in five houses experiencing or living with a very real threat of the coronavirus."

Note cases is currently 43

Victorian coronavirus cluster centred on five households who broke stay-at-home rules

A cluster of 34 coronavirus cases in Casey, in Melbourne's south-east, is linked to residents who travelled outside their 5km radius to visit each other in their homes, Victorian health authorities say.

www.abc.net.au

PS: Victoria's largest coronavirus cluster outside of aged care is centred around five households
This statement does nor ring true as Vawdreys and other workplace clusters have been larger including some hospitals.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Was it the Colac cluster where the local community started doing the tracing themselves - or maybe it was an employer that started isolating staff himself because no one from Vic Health had contacted them?

I think you are referring to other earlier cases, and perhaps also some other locations.

On the recent Colac Cases.

An illegal gathering is believed to be at the centre of a south-west Victorian town's second coronavirus spike.

Colac's second outbreak began after a man became infected with the virus while in a Melbourne hospital undergoing treatment.

Unaware that he was infected, the man returned home and spread the virus to his family.

From there, the virus spread through the community, leading to the temporary closure of two major workplaces — a Bulla ice cream factory and the Australian Lamb Company abattoir, which was the site of the town's first outbreak.


It is understood an illegal gathering on August 29th facilitated the spread through the community.

This has led to active COVID-19 cases in the Colac Otway Shire jumping from eight, in the days prior to the party, to 25 on September 8

Police are investigating the matter but have declined to comment.

The ABC understands police only found out about the party after the fact.

No complaints were made about it at the time.


Police are yet to issue fines due to concerns doing so might limit the amount of information partygoers are willing to give to contact tracers.

The second spike follows an earlier cluster that sprang up around the Australian Lamb Company abattoir and rapidly grew to almost 100 cases.

Police investigate illegal gathering as COVID-19 spreads through Colac for second time

Police are investigating the possibility that an illegal gathering is behind Colac's second coronavirus cluster. Businesses have again shut down in the town, including the abattoir at the centre of its first outbreak.

www.abc.net.au

I would highlight:

Police are yet to issue fines due to concerns doing so might limit the amount of information partygoers are willing to give to contact tracers.​

So interesting is it not that the recent Colac cases gained no significant reaction on this, but the same action with the Casey cluster has created a large outcry from some in the media.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Vic new cases per day, including the 11 cases today.

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH reports:

NSW has recorded four new COVID-19 cases, three of which are in hotel quarantine and one linked to the Concord Hospital cluster with that person already in self isolation.

Nothing about any spread form the cabbie who worked 9 days while infectious. It is maddening that taxis are NOT required to collect passenger details when people sit in cabs much longer than they often do when buying a coffee, yet cafes get your details. Taxis should have to have QR codes for those that are hailed or picked up from a rank. If you dont agree to provide details, no ride for you. Ive seen so many cabs driving about with no masks too.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Are the new cases linked to known infection areas?

Update: Well in Dan's daily presser he stated that there were no cases in the Casey LGA. ie So none added to the Casey family cluster


Note that 5 cases from today's 11 are under investigation and may or may not be linked to existing cases.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

SMH reports:

NSW has recorded four new COVID-19 cases, three of which are in hotel quarantine and one linked to the Concord Hospital cluster with that person already in self isolation.

Nothing about any spread form the cabbie who worked 9 days while infectious. It is maddening that taxis are required to collect passenger details when people sit in cabs much longer than they often do when buying a coffee, yet cafes get your details. Taxis should have to have QR codes for those that are hailed or picked up form a rank. If you dont agree to provide details, no ride for you. Ive seen so many cabs driving about with no masks too.

I think you meant It maddening that taxi aren’t required to get details.

I agree with the sentiment but it’s a two-fold issue I think - one for potential safety reason you don’t want to be giving all personal details (name address mobile) to in many cases a sole trader cabbie or a driver leasing and taxis are unlikely to want create their own QR code. Perhaps a solution might be the taxi company they drive under being the one to monitor movements and QR data.

In other news, Qld 1 case being in International quarantine.

 

[Pushka]

Update: Well in Dan's daily presser he stated that there were no cases in the Casey LGA. ie So none added to the Casey family cluster


Note that 5 cases from today's 11 are under investigation and may or may not be linked to existing cases.

They really need to be linked to existing clusters to be able to have a sense that there aren't bubbles happening.

 

[Lynda2475]

one for potential safety reason you don’t want to be giving all personal details (name address mobile) to in many cases a sole trader cabbie or a driver leasing and taxis are unlikely to want create their own QR code.

Service NSW are issuing free QR codes now, but there could be a common QR for all taxis in that company, and on the wb form you enter you name, mobile and the Taxi number which can be printed next tot he QR code. The info should go to the taxi company, who would know what driver would be working at that time. No venues get your home address only mobile or email - so no danger of them stalking you at home.

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH.com.au:

Warning for Sydney taxi passengers

NSW Health has identified at least nine taxi trips where passengers would have been at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 from their driver, who worked while infectious with the virus earlier this month.

Passengers who caught the Silver Service taxi at the following times and locations in Sydney are considered close contacts of the driver. They must get tested immediately and isolate for a full 14 days, even if their initial test is negative.

They must get tested again if they develop any symptoms.

• Trip 8/9/2020: Pickup Liverpool TAFE college, Bigge Street Liverpool 13:03 – Drop off Hoxton Park Road Cartwright 1.14pm
• Trip 8/9/2020: Pickup Liverpool TAFE college, Bigge Street Liverpool 14:01 – Drop off Glenwari St Sadlier 2.11pm
• Trip 9/9/2020: Pickup Liverpool TAFE college, Bigge Street Liverpool 08:08 – Drop off Moorebank Shopping centre, Stockton Ave Moorebank 8.15am
• Trip 10/9/2020: Pickup Liverpool 14:38 – Drop off Graham Ave Casula 2.44pm
• Trip 10/9/2020: Pickup Haddenham St Chipping Norton 19:15 – Drop off George St Burwood 7.48pm
• Trip 14/9/20: Pickup Riverside Road Chipping Norton 15:50 – Drop off The Mill Hotel, Beaconsfield St Milperra 4.04pm
• Trip 15/9/2020: Pickup Riverside Road Chipping Norton 08:31 – Drop off Birnie Ave Lidcombe 9.11am
• Trip 15/9/2020: Pickup Milperra 10:14 – Drop off Riverside Rd Chipping Norton 10.25am
• Trip 15/9/2020: Pickup Birnie Ave Lidcombe 15:22 – Drop off Riverside Rd Chipping Norton 4.07pm

 

[lovetravellingoz]

They really need to be linked to existing clusters to be able to have a sense that there aren't bubbles happening.

I am not sure what you are getting at as yes that is what contact tracing strives to to do. This is what defines known vs unknown local community cases.

Each morning some of the new tests can be immediately linked, other require contact tracing and take longer. ie Yesterday stated with 5 under investigation from the new cases, and by 5.20pm this had dropped to 2, and by now may be lower as have only under investigation for less than 36 hrs.

The unknown local is a measure of where this cannot be done, and the numbers of this has been dropping steadily.

Genomic testing is done on all positive tests (though not all samples can grow the virus) and so this can sometimes lead to further reductions in unknown local cases but genomic testing may takes a couple of weeks.

EDIT ADDED PS: As some cases are spread by asymptomatic spreaders (who may never know that they were positive) , the source of infection cannot always be determined.