Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Hvr]

No venues get your home address only mobile or email - so no danger of them stalking you at home.

Easy enough to stalk people with an email/phone number. Sadly too many young women have experienced this.

As for taxi drivers, way too many low-lifes driving them who aren't registered or sometimes even licensed. They use someone else's taxi driver card.

 

[Lynda2475]

s for taxi drivers, way too many low-lifes driving them who aren't registered or sometimes even licensed. They use someone else's taxi driver card.

This is one reason I dont use taxis, I prefer Uber as you know who the driver is, and the driver doesn't get your details only the company.

That said easy to set up a new Gmail/yahoo email for sole purpose of corvid check-ins, as in NSW you need only give mobile OR email.

If the taxis companies use the new Service NSW issued QR codes, your details are held by Service NSW, not the business. So if there is exposure Service NSW can contact you.

 

[Pushka]

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.

Yes I understand all that. That was my point. It would be good if these were all linked to existing clusters.

 

[jakeseven7]

Yes I understand all that. That was my point. It would be good if these were all linked to existing clusters.

Most are now thankfully and unknown cases have come down by over 50% now in the last week. Great work VIC!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Most are now thankfully and unknown cases have come down by over 50% now in the last week. Great work VIC!

Things may change of course, but so far progress on both the 14 day average for daily cases and also the unknown/mystery cases would be exceeding expectations, and certainly the modelling, and look like being met before the target dates.

However with cases so low now, it will only take a cluster or two to cause some wild swings in the trends. But the directions of all the data is good.

 

[dajop]

Things may change of course, but so far progress on both the 14 day average for daily cases and also the unknown/mystery cases would be exceeding expectations, and certainly the modelling, and look like being met before the target dates.

However with cases so low now, it will only take a cluster or two to cause some wild swings in the trends. But the directions of all the data is good.

Those who are the custodians of the response are in a difficult spot. They are under a lot of pressure from the media (or pockets of the media) to relax restrictions immediately, but of course if they did and anything went wrong the same media would be the first to kick the boot in. But it seems they will be staying the course, and will keep a tight ship until the modelling and expertise indicates some relaxations would not jeopardise the successes of the last four weeks.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Those who are the custodians of the response are in a difficult spot. They are under a lot of pressure from the media (or pockets of the media) to relax restrictions immediately, but of course if they did and anything went wrong the same media would be the first to kick the boot in. But it seems they will be staying the course, and will keep a tight ship until the modelling and expertise indicates some relaxations would not jeopardise the successes of the last four weeks.

The Colac and Casey Families Cases have both shown how one case can spread so quickly. One with an illegal gathering combined with less restrictions as was outside of Melbourne, and the second with illegal home visits and mixing, though more restrictions which may have assisted in limiting spread beyond the households.

Moreseo as the previous high community spread will most likely mean that there are also more unknown untested asymptomatic people about . So these need time so that any such infections will be revealed when eventually a symptomatic person will show up and who then gets tested.

So I cannot see the Vic Gov changing the restrictions to allow free mixing of people till cases have been very low for at least a 14 day period. So best case scenario I would tend to think is that 24 Oct Restrictions could possibly occur one to two weeks earlier.



There might be some minor tweaking. For example last week scheduled car servicing has been allowed as an essential activity and both my Car Dealer and Mechanic contacted me to advise that I could now get my cars serviced. This would mean more mechanics etc returning back to work.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The Colac and Casey Families Cases have both shown how one case can spread so quickly. One with an illegal gathering combined with less restrictions as was outside of Melbourne, and the second with illegal home visits and mixing, though more restrictions which may have assisted in limiting spread beyond the households.

Moreseo as the previous high community spread will most likely mean that there are also more unknown untested asymptomatic people about . So these need time so that any such infections will be revealed when eventually a symptomatic person will show up and who then gets tested.

So I cannot see the Vic Gov changing the restrictions to allow free mixing of people till cases have been very low for at least a 14 day period. So best case scenario I would tend to think is that 24 Oct Restrictions could possibly occur one to two weeks earlier.



There might be some minor tweaking. For example last week scheduled car servicing has been allowed as an essential activity and both my Car Dealer and Mechanic contacted me to advise that I could now get my cars serviced. This would mean more mechanics etc returning back to work.

I have read that the 5 family cluster is said to be illegal, but I do wonder how illegal when it’s been mentioned that there was some daycare involved. Perhaps it was borderline ok-ish movement if some apparently low paid essential workers had to drop off their kids outside the 5km limit for childcare.

Not sure what to believe in terms of media reports/bits and pieces of info posted here.

 

[blackcat20]

I have read that the 5 family cluster is said to be illegal, but I do wonder how illegal when it’s been mentioned that there was some daycare involved. Perhaps it was borderline ok-ish movement if some apparently low paid essential workers had to drop off their kids outside the 5km limit for childcare.

Not sure what to believe in terms of media reports/bits and pieces of info posted here.

Hard to know isnt it, when existing child care arrangements were labelled ok when we moved into stage 4, meaning you could continue leaving kids with family.

 

[TheRealTMA]

One would think that Taxi drivers would be regularly tested for CV19?

Sydney coronavirus taxi causing headaches for contact tracers

Health authorities in NSW are "urgently" searching for people who travelled with an infected taxi driver in Western Sydney earlier this month, and have focused their efforts on nine trips.

www.abc.net.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have read that the 5 family cluster is said to be illegal, but I do wonder how illegal when it’s been mentioned that there was some daycare involved. Perhaps it was borderline ok-ish movement if some apparently low paid essential workers had to drop off their kids outside the 5km limit for childcare.

Not sure what to believe in terms of media reports/bits and pieces of info posted here.

I am not sure the Vic Officials have discussed whether daycare rules were breached. But various officials have been quite categorical that rules were breached.

Government officials have stated that they breached rules. I do not recall anyone from the Gov saying precisely what the exact rules breached were beyond visiting and the 5km rule, but it did involve mixing of 5 households, and that also that not all 5 households were with 5km of one another.

However, the government would not fine members of the households involved in the cluster who were found to have breached restrictions, according to Jeroen Weimar, a former departmental secretary now responsible for the state's testing strategy.

The quotes I am seen from Vic Officials talk of visiting breaches and not childcare.

“But we’ve also seen in this particular cluster visiting of houses beyond the 5km radius, so these five houses in this particular cluster have had, unfortunately, some members of those households visiting other households and 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.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hard to know isnt it, when existing child care arrangements were labelled ok when we moved into stage 4, meaning you could continue leaving kids with family.

I think it is only the media who speculated that childcare arrangements was the breach. I don't think I have read or heard a Vic Official saying that childcare was one of the rules breached.

Though it may have contributed to the spread if it was occurring.

 

[dajop]

But various officials have been quite categorical that rules were breached.

Yes, this is one thing that has been fairly consistent - that rules were breached, although they didn't say which rules, IIRC.

As a result, one particular group of media outlets have been quite active in suggesting that the families should have been fined (at least in their headlines and first paragraph or two). Of course, officials will not be fining the breaching individuals as then it could completely undermine contract tracing, which relies on a high level of honesty.

 

[blackcat20]

I think it is only the media who speculated that childcare arrangements was the breach. I don't think I have read or heard a Vic Official saying that childcare was one of the rules breached.

Though it may have contributed to the spread if it was occurring.

I have no idea where I even read it, but I dont think it was a new site.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yes, this is one thing that has been fairly consistent - that rules were breached, although they didn't say which rules, IIRC.

As a result, one particular group of media outlets have been quite active in suggesting that the families should have been fined (at least in their headlines and first paragraph or two). Of course, officials will not be fining the breaching individuals as then it could completely undermine contract tracing, which relies on a high level of honesty.

The media seems to have a double standard on this.

As I commented in this thread earlier today fines were also not levied on the Colac family, and all their party guests, for an illegal gathering which help to fuel the recent outbreak there, and the reason given was exactly the same as with the Casey Family Cluster:

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 with the recent Colac Cases gained no significant negative reaction on this, but the same action with the Casey Family Cluster has created a large outcry from some in the media and is supposedly a major issue for some.

The right decision to not fine was made in both situations.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

One would think that Taxi drivers would be regularly tested for CV19?

Sydney coronavirus taxi causing headaches for contact tracers

Health authorities in NSW are "urgently" searching for people who travelled with an infected taxi driver in Western Sydney earlier this month, and have focused their efforts on nine trips.

www.abc.net.au

Another way to stuff up taxis v Uber? I doubt Uber drivers get tested regularly.

 

[Lynda2475]

Another way to stuff up taxis v Uber? I doubt Uber drivers get tested regularly.

Except Uber much easier to trace, as every pick-up is booked via an app, so they know the driver and the passenger. Uber is also mandating that all drivers and passengers wear masks, passenger has to sit in the back seat and have window open for duration of the ride and you have to accept these terms when you book. Ive only taken a few ubers since the pandemic began, but all cars Ive been in have also had hand sanitiser for passengers.

Id rather take an uber than a bus/train/tram or taxi due to the better cleanliness and better contract tracing. Taxi drivers and passengers arent required to wear masks, accept cash ( which is higher risk than contactless) and are used 24hrs a day so unlikley to be cleaned that well each day.

 

[p--and--t]

The media seems to have a double standard on this.

As I commented in this thread earlier today fines were also not levied on the Colac family, and all their party guests, for an illegal gathering which help to fuel the recent outbreak there, and the reason given was exactly the same as with the Casey Family Cluster:

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 with the recent Colac Cases gained no significant negative reaction on this, but the same action with the Casey Family Cluster has created a large outcry from some in the media and is supposedly a major issue for some.

The right decision to not fine was made in both situations.

The difference is racism

 

[Flying mermaid]

Easy enough to stalk people with an email/phone number. Sadly too many young women have experienced this.

This is definitely a concern. In Canberra you can download an App supplied by the government that you can use to scan the restaurant QR code and can check in that way. That way no restaurant has any contact details at all. Much safer system.

 

[Lynda2475]

Im in two minds about fining the families who breached restrictions. I get that if people fear a fine they are less likley to come forward to get tested or to cooperate with contract tracers, but at the same time if there are no consequences for these breaches there is no incentive for people to exhibit the right behaviours. There needs to be some repercussion for those that knowingly did the wrong thing, given police are enforcing fines on covid-free individuals for breaching gathering or curfew restrictions.

Post automatically merged: Sep 21, 2020

This is definitely a concern. In Canberra you can download an App supplied by the government that you can use to scan the restaurant QR code and can check in that way. That way no restaurant has any contact details at all. Much safer system.

This system is available in NSW too - its run by Service NSW. However it is newer and many restaurants already had their own QR systems in place, although I notice in my area some venues are switching over now. I suggested this is the one taxi companies could use several posts back, your details only go to the NSW gov. The main issue is that you need to have a service NSW account something anyone with a drivers license or fishing permit would already have (as licenses are now electronic) but not something I have ever had the need for.