Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Lynda2475]

From: SMH.com.au:

Diplomat tests positive in Canberra

A foreign diplomat has become the ACT's first coronavirus case more than 100 days.

The man, aged in his 70s, drove to Canberra from Sydney Airport in a private car.

He was in quarantine in Canberra and tested positive on his mandatory day 10 test, ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said.

Two close contacts of the man have been identified and are in self-isolation.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the new case should be a reminder to Canberrans that they are not "an isolated bubble" from the pandemic.

Dr Coleman said she did not believe Canberrans were more at risk of catching coronavirus from foreign arrivals because foreign diplomats were exempt from hotel quarantine. Instead, they are required to quarantine in private accommodation.

"We have a very, very strong home quarantine model," she stressed, noting this case was detected because of compulsory testing.

There are around 276 people in quarantine in Canberra. Dr Coleman said about a quarter of those people were diplomats.

 

[Flying mermaid]

From: SMH.com.au:

Diplomat tests positive in Canberra

A foreign diplomat has become the ACT's first coronavirus case more than 100 days.

The man, aged in his 70s, drove to Canberra from Sydney Airport in a private car.

He was in quarantine in Canberra and tested positive on his mandatory day 10 test, ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said.

Two close contacts of the man have been identified and are in self-isolation.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the new case should be a reminder to Canberrans that they are not "an isolated bubble" from the pandemic.

Dr Coleman said she did not believe Canberrans were more at risk of catching coronavirus from foreign arrivals because foreign diplomats were exempt from hotel quarantine. Instead, they are required to quarantine in private accommodation.

"We have a very, very strong home quarantine model," she stressed, noting this case was detected because of compulsory testing.

There are around 276 people in quarantine in Canberra. Dr Coleman said about a quarter of those people were diplomats.

Hopefully isolating properly - some of the diplomats do whatever they like. Park anywhere, speed, don’t pay fines. We had one case where they had dogs that got out and attacked people on multiple occasions and it took front page coverage before they finally took the dogs back to America.

 

[RooFlyer]

Possibly too subtle, but I stated what the actual case was as some may have otherwise jumped to the wrong conclusion, and then a link to an article. At the time I first posted all sources that I saw had inaccuracies, some in their headlines and some in their articles.

So I posted what I did and then relied on the reader to form their own opinion. Some people unfortunately do take media reports verbatim, and others post incorrect articles and headlines without making any qualification as to the inaccurate reporting.

Thanks for the explanation. Next time when following up such news, I won't worry about your links to the UK Daily Mail and go looking for my own, more local and hopefully better ones - primary sources, not newspapers.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Just on the new positive student case in Victoria.

If I have understood the situation and what was said at today's presser correctly:

• Linked to a 5 household cluster
• All family members in the households in the cluster were isolating and were being tested at day 3 and day 11.
• Some family members had been positive, but had then tested negative and they were allowed to leave quarantine (ie could leave the household) as they were deemed to no longer be contagious.
• The student had tested negative on day 3 and was meant stay in quarantine till at least their day 11 test. However prior to day 11 when their second test was due they had left quarantine to attend school for two days when they should not have. They had their day 11 test and it returned a positive result.
• And then all the other actions on school closure, sending 500 odd people into isolation etc have now all occurred within 24 hrs (some yesterday and some early this morning) of the student's positive test result

With the 5 cases most are of people are in quarantine. At least 1, the student breeched that quarantine.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks for the explanation. Next time when following up such news, I won't worry about your links to the UK Daily Mail and go looking for my own, more local and hopefully better ones - primary sources, not newspapers.

Yes I agree always a good idea to check multiple sources, and I did prior to my post which is why I started it with a correction.

On your reference to "local news ' though the actual link was from the DailyMail Australia (yes obviously operated by the DailyMail) and the report was by Levi J Parsons who is a Sydney based journalist, who reports on Australian news and so I am not sure why a Sydney based journalist is not local?

 

[RooFlyer]

On your reference to "local news ' though the actual link was from the DailyMail Australia (yes obviously operated by the DailyMail) and the report was by Levi J Parsons who is a Sydney based journalist, who reports on Australian news and so I am not sure why a Sydney based journalist is not local?

Neither am I, but then I don't track the residency details of journos of UK news outlets - or any news outlets for that matter, bolded or not.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

NSW mystery case watch

Today’s reports indicate:
- 3 in the past 7 days
- 2 in the period 8-14 days
- 0 in the period 15-28 days
- 28 older than 28 days but since before Crossroads emerged.

So looks like a mystery case linked in the past 24 hours...

Nsw mystery case watch

Today’s reports indicate:
- 0 in the past 7 days
- 3 in the period 8-14 days
- 2 in the period 15-28 days
- 28 older than 28 days but since before Crossroads emerged.

So some natural ageing in the last 48 hour reporting period.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Extract from today's Vic DHHS Report: Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Coronavirus update for Victoria - 22 October 2020


Media Release
22 October 2020

More than 500 people in a number of northern suburbs have been advised to isolate to assist in controlling an outbreak of coronavirus.
In addition, any residents of the northern suburbs including Dallas, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Preston and West Heidelberg who are experiencing symptoms are being urged to be tested for coronavirus.

All of today’s 5 new cases are linked to these northern suburbs.

This advice follows the notification of a positive test result of a student who attended the East Preston Islamic College.
The College has taken positive steps to manage this situation and has been closed for deep cleaning. Staff and students who are close contacts - and their households - have been identified and are quarantining for 14 days.

A number of people related to the outbreak are observing quarantine requirements either at home or as part of the Covid19 Accommodation program and are being monitored by Austin Health and Banyule Community Health.

Extensive contact tracing is underway and we expect that as part of this work, additional cases will be detected.

......

The 10 mystery cases in the last 14 days (8 Oct 2020 – 21 Oct 2020) are in the following postcodes, 3015, 3024, 3025, 3037, 3047, 3073, 3081, 3128, 3152 and 3173.

 

[Lynda2475]

0 in the past 7 days

Yet this afternoon the Qld Deputy premier was claiming NSW has had 4 mystery cases in the last week - anything to keep the borders closed.

 

[RooFlyer]

Extract from today's Vic DHHS Report: Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Coronavirus update for Victoria - 22 October 2020

... and Deputy Chief Health Officer Allan Cheng later added some detail on the school case.

Different members of the family were receiving instructions from different case managers, but Professor Cheng said, in future, single case managers should be assigned to families to avoid mixed messages.

Adding to the confusion, Professor Cheng said each member of the family was at a different stage of the isolation period. “I think there probably was some confusion, which is probably understandable,” he said.

“What has probably happened in this case is that the people that had infection had been cleared and told they could come out of isolation.

“But the people that haven’t had infection were still in quarantine and there was obviously some confusion.”

 

[antycbr]

Yet this afternoon the Qld Deputy premier was claiming NSW has had 4 mystery cases in the last week - anything to keep the borders closed.

Perhaps the NSW Government should take out full page ads in Queensland to explain the facts.

meanwhile the Australian aviation sector haemorrhages money, day by day.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

... and Deputy Chief Health Officer Allan Cheng later added some detail on the school case.

Different members of the family were receiving instructions from different case managers, but Professor Cheng said, in future, single case managers should be assigned to families to avoid mixed messages.

Adding to the confusion, Professor Cheng said each member of the family was at a different stage of the isolation period. “I think there probably was some confusion, which is probably understandable,” he said.

“What has probably happened in this case is that the people that had infection had been cleared and told they could come out of isolation.

“But the people that haven’t had infection were still in quarantine and there was obviously some confusion.”

Cheng actually spoke on the section you quoted during the Vic presser (initially at length as part of his section and then in responding to many questions) earlier in the day which commenced at 11.30AM. ie before the report was issued. My post earlier in the day on that aspect of the Vic Presser was from his comments.

The Vic DHHS Report came out at 3.30PM in the afternoon.


Just on:

Different members of the family were receiving instructions from different case managers, but Professor Cheng said, in future, single case managers should be assigned to families to avoid mixed messages.​

Not in the article but in the presser was clarification after that comment that single case managers may not be possible for some of the very big families due to the workload.


It is worth noting:

"Isolation is about how long you're infectious for and there's a process to be cleared from that. It's usually about 10 days.​

"Quarantine is about how long [a person] gets sick after you have been exposed and that actually is longer."​

And at the presser it was discussed how particular individuals who were no longer infectious (had negative tests returned) were told that their isolation period could now be ceased. The confusion referred to is that others (the boy - oddly the parents were not directly referenced at the presser or from what I have seen in the media) has assumed that their isolation period was also finished because others (brothers I understand, but not stated at the presser) were told that theirs was. However the boy at that stage was in quarantine as they had been exposed to people who were contagious.


ie They were not in isolation yet as their day 3 test was negative. Before the result from their day 11 quarantine test was returned as positive they had attended school for 2 days. At that time at checking it was determined that they had breached quarantine despite not being told that they could do so (again remember no one seems to have mentioned parents or who the responsible guardian was if no parents) and that then lead to checking with the school, and the whole series of outbreak measures being stepped up radically.

Note that this is a large family spread over 5 households and so isolation and quarantine commencement dates vary.

 

[james4321]

Perhaps the NSW Government should take out full page ads in Queensland to explain the facts.

Yawn That would be a waste of money - I think most QLD'rs couldn't care less what happens in NSW

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Yawn That would be a waste of money - I think most QLD'rs couldn't care less what happens in NSW

Whilst most probably true, there are also many Queenslanders in transport, tourism, accommodation, hospitality and businesses that service them etc who are not so pleased.

 

[antycbr]

Whilst most probably true, there are also many Queenslanders in transport, tourism, accommodation, hospitality and businesses that service them etc who are not so pleased.

I also think from a NSW perspective it’s time to deny hotel quarantine spaces to residents of other states. Each state can take the risk associated with their residents hotel quarantine. I will let Victoria get off for the minute however but Queensland, WA and Tas should all be doing their part now.

 

[Pushka]

I also think from a NSW perspective it’s time to deny hotel quarantine spaces to residents of other states. Each state can take the risk associated with their residents hotel quarantine. I will let Victoria get off for the minute however but Queensland, WA and Tas should all be doing their part now.

I get the sentiment but SA doesn't have capacity. In reality according to statistics released in this thread SA is currently doing its share. WA seems to get a lot of the workers on ships to deal with. Not residents but still Covid patients. Tas and Qld? Likely up for the comment there.

 

[antycbr]

I get the sentiment but SA doesn't have capacity. In reality according to statistics released in this thread SA is currently doing its share. WA seems to get a lot of the workers on ships to deal with. Not residents but still Covid patients. Tas and Qld? Likely up for the comment there.

Thats why I left certain states off.
If people such as Stephen Miles are weaponising Covid statistics such as NSW having “8 cases” of which 7 are in Quarantine, it’s time to drive down the 7 and make Queensland take its share of HQ.

 

[dajop]

I also think from a NSW perspective it’s time to deny hotel quarantine spaces to residents of other states.

The problem is, that with the difficulty in Australian residents leaving the country, I suspect the majority of inbound travellers are, or have been, residents of another country. So how do you make a determination of who’s resident where within Australia? I guess onward travel after quarantine.

Also, credit to SA, in terms of population, their share of arrivals is similar to NSW, and in terms of their share of pre-COVID international arrivals . ... whilst they’re only taking 1/4 of the quarantine arrivals that Sydney is, their share of all international arrivals into Australia in the year to January 2020 was but 1/15th of arrivals into Sydney.

 

[jakeseven7]

Another low day for VIC and this also included testing from the rapid response units that have descended on the recently detected northern suburbs cluster.

A good number to go into National
cabinet with and start talking some sense into the group!

 

[jakeseven7]

Whilst most probably true, there are also many Queenslanders in transport, tourism, accommodation, hospitality and businesses that service them etc who are not so pleased.

Agreed, Gold Coast and FNQ tourism operators especially are staring down another devastating school holiday period.

BUT the good news leaking out in medical circles up here is that our QLD CHO has been having ‘lots of meetings’ with other medical experts from around Australia and you will note that the rhetoric around 28 days or nothing for NSW and VIC to pass has been dialled right back...*. which is very very interesting and hopeful for us.

*Only people taking about this now are ones trying to keep their job in a week, not the CHO