Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[RooFlyer]

They [Tas] will let NSW in on that date as well, pretty much all but guaranteed. Only an outbreak will stop them joining.

Like today, potentially.

 

[jakeseven7]

Like today, potentially.

Sure like any day, could happen any day anywhere potentially. But we have systems and controls and people in place in that are hopefully supposed to manage this ongoing bubbling of community transmission.

 

[dajop]

Hope this doesn’t set the clock back .....

Hundreds of unmasked Melburnians flock to beaches ahead of warm weekend

Crowds were seen at beaches across the city on Friday afternoon, putting health authorities on edge.

7news.com.au

Was speaking to someone who spent the afternoon on the beach ... in regional Victoria and said everyone (who was just sitting on the beach - not in the water) was wearing as mask.

 

[blackcat20]

Hope this doesn’t set the clock back .....

Hundreds of unmasked Melburnians flock to beaches ahead of warm weekend

Crowds were seen at beaches across the city on Friday afternoon, putting health authorities on edge.

7news.com.au

Was speaking to someone who spent the afternoon on the beach ... in regional Victoria and said everyone (who was just sitting on the beach - not in the water) was wearing as mask.

I’m so angry at this, it risks everything us victorians have done over the last six months.

 

[jakeseven7]

I’m so angry at this, it risks everything us victorians have done over the last six months.

Exactly the same thing happened in Sydney’s eastern beach suburbs. Crazy!

But fortunately it didn’t seem to have much of an effect regardless. I guess being outdoors much lower risk, but still disappointing. Let’s hope for the same.

 

[Pushka]

I’m so angry at this, it risks everything us victorians have done over the last six months.

There have been many instances throughout Australia of people doing this with flagrant disregard to restrictions. Ever since the pandemic began. Covering a wide range of causes and reasons. Of all of them, this is likely the least risky of them all but obviously let's hope that's the case.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sure like any day, could happen any day anywhere potentially. But we have systems and controls and people in place in that are hopefully supposed to manage this ongoing bubbling of community transmission.

Sure, but the Tas Chief Medical Officer looks at things differently. He looks at social media to see if "people are frightened" (his words, a couple of times.) He looks not only at what is happening in a particular state, but how that might progress and affect adjacent states etc etc. Basically, I think he looks for any excuse to keep things shut, so his recently-perfect record doesn't break.

 

[tgh]

My Melbourne feedback yesterday was that everyone was out and about and that it looked situation normal… 'cept it wasn't…..

 

[Pushka]

Sure, but the Tas Chief Medical Officer looks at things differently. He looks at social media to see if "people are frightened" (his words, a couple of times.) He looks not only at what is happening in a particular state, but how that might progress and affect adjacent states etc etc. Basically, I think he looks for any excuse to keep things shut, so his recently-perfect record doesn't break.

Tasmania needs to start bringing in international Aussies stranded overseas. Surprisingly people get used to seeing the odd one or two positives emerging in quarantine and the media and people have stopped running around like chicken little when news of a positive breaks.

 

[SydneySwan]

Tasmania needs to start bringing in international Aussies stranded overseas. Surprisingly people get used to seeing the odd one or two positives emerging in quarantine and the media and people have stopped running around like chicken little when news of a positive breaks.

I agree that it is about time that TAS started pulling its weight on international arrivals. NSW is still 'very disappointed' that it is bearing the load (and costs) of the program. I am waiting for NSW to propose differential pricing for residents of the other states. It currently charges $3000 for an adult. If it raised the cost for interstate residents to cover the real costs (estimate is about $4500 -$5000) then I am sure that would focus the minds of the other states.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Victoria 8 new cases, 3 deaths

Statewide:12.1 (12+0.1) 14 day rolling average, 11 (11+0) mystery cases in past 14 days.

 

[jakeseven7]

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Qld 0 new cases, 6 active remaining.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Updates on graphs:

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

As we head to 8 million test performed in Australia, I hope they have put an order in for more of the “gold standard” PCR, unless there is a better one now available.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

As we head to 8 million test performed in Australia, I hope they have put an order in for more of the “gold standard” PCR, unless there is a better one now available.

Do you have any reason to doubt that they have not?

This type of test would seem to be freely available throughout Australia for all qualify to be tested. Supply I cannot recall having been an issue for some time now.

When tests went well over 20K per day in the second wave they had trouble processing that volume of tests quickly, but ample actual tests were always available.

 

[RooFlyer]

Tasmania needs to start bringing in international Aussies stranded overseas. Surprisingly people get used to seeing the odd one or two positives emerging in quarantine and the media and people have stopped running around like chicken little when news of a positive breaks.

I agree that it is about time that TAS started pulling its weight on international arrivals.

I agree! But 'Hobart International Airport' can't handle international arrivals. No Border Force or even Federal Police (Federal Police should have been at HBA even in its domestic capacity, but the Feds withdrew the Federal Police from there about 3 years ago. Apparently we are too nice to have a serious incident at the airport. ). I think the Tas govt has been angling with the Feds recently to supply these, so we can take some international quarantinees. With the possibility of NZ arrivals, I'd hope they are redoubling those efforts.

There is a convenient, pretty new hotel right at HBA, away from anywhere else.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Victoria's hotel quarantine program has been 'reset' — but is it enough to stop a third wave?

It emerged this week that nine people employed in Melbourne's hotel quarantine program have tested positive to coronavirus since late July and two went to work while infectious.
Those workers were all employed in hotel quarantine after the Victorian Government closed the state's borders to international travellers and announced a "reset" of the troubled program, which has been blamed for much of the state's coronavirus second wave.
Over the past three months, hotel quarantine has continued to operate for Victorians with COVID-19 who needed to self-isolate but could not do so safely at home, and a small number of returned international travellers accepted on compassionate grounds.
The revelation that during that time nine employees contracted coronavirus has left many people wondering whether authorities have learnt the lessons of past failures, and whether they are doing enough to ensure hotel quarantine does not cause more deadly outbreaks in future.

courtesy ABC Covid live blog

 

[jakeseven7]

I agree! But 'Hobart International Airport' can't handle international arrivals. No Border Force or even Federal Police (Federal Police should have been at HBA even in its domestic capacity, but the Feds withdrew the Federal Police from there about 3 years ago. Apparently we are too nice to have a serious incident at the airport. ). I think the Tas govt has been angling with the Feds recently to supply these, so we can take some international quarantinees. With the possibility of NZ arrivals, I'd hope they are redoubling those efforts.

There is a convenient, pretty new hotel right at HBA, away from anywhere else.

The Tasmanian Premier yesterday said HBA can be international ready in 8 weeks.

They really want to be part of the Trans Tasman bubble, so perhaps this carrot will lead them to cough up the $ to make that happen and take returnees as well as be a part of the bubble.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Victoria's hotel quarantine program has been 'reset' — but is it enough to stop a third wave?

It emerged this week that nine people employed in Melbourne's hotel quarantine program have tested positive to coronavirus since late July and two went to work while infectious.
Those workers were all employed in hotel quarantine after the Victorian Government closed the state's borders to international travellers and announced a "reset" of the troubled program, which has been blamed for much of the state's coronavirus second wave.
Over the past three months, hotel quarantine has continued to operate for Victorians with COVID-19 who needed to self-isolate but could not do so safely at home, and a small number of returned international travellers accepted on compassionate grounds.
The revelation that during that time nine employees contracted coronavirus has left many people wondering whether authorities have learnt the lessons of past failures, and whether they are doing enough to ensure hotel quarantine does not cause more deadly outbreaks in future.

courtesy ABC Covid live blog

Wow Third wave. Dramatic headline !! However the salient content that article really is:

Did these nine people contract coronavirus inside hotel quarantine?​

The Department of Health and Human Services doesn't think so.​

​

Professor Sutton said the infections were "absolutely a reflection of the very substantial community transmission" in Melbourne at the time.​

​

He said genomic sequencing conducted for six of the infected workers pointed to links to known clusters or community transmission.​

​

The other three workers did not have genomic testing done, but Professor Sutton said there was evidence they all contracted the virus in the community.​

​

"One of the three for whom there's no sequencing was a household member of two others, so almost certainly acquired their infection through transmission in the household," he said.​

​

"The second of the three without sequencing was epidemiologically linked to an aged care facility, and a third … had contact with a known case who acquired their infection elsewhere."​

​

He said there were "no cases … with a probable acquisition" inside the hotels.​

Meanwhile it that period hundreds of other workers at various other work places also were infected in the community. Some were infected in their workplace which is actually a bigger concern than this story.

In the 9 cases it is basically people getting infected, getting tested and then isolating which is what is meant to occur. Also the cases were not a quarantine leak.

The cleaner who worked recently at the Butcher Club when they knew that they should have been isolating was actually potentially much bigger problem. If Chadstone had of had more retail open (which the current step does not allow) it could have been another Crossroads or worse.


PS This is not to say that I do not want the quarantine process to continue to improve as as I do.

PSS

I note that the dramatic headline has now been downgraded to:

Nine coronavirus hotel quarantine workers have become infected since Victoria's program was reset. Should you be worried?​

which is completely different and is a much more reasonable headline.