Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Pushka]

Cheers.
Who arranges something like that and would our government use their data to notify people in these countries?

I think the Embassies sort it with people who’ve registered for repatriation.

 

[RooFlyer]

Though it depends when she became infectious.may have passed it to staff other than the initial worker so there may be more cases in a few days.

Didn't they test all the staff and residents of those three nursing homes in that big batch (500)?

 

[jase05]

I think the Embassies sort it with people who’ve registered for repatriation.

Thanks.
Just a little perplexed why QF or VA weren’t used for the India flights when they are being used for various other repatriation flights around the world. Maybe cost comes into it but I thought the government were subsidising these flights anyway

 

[drron]

Cheers.
Who arranges something like that and would our government use their data to notify people in these countries?

They do for some.here is our Ambassador to Thailand about a TG flight to SYD on 25/4.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=233374274536239

 

[drron]

Didn't they test all the staff and residents of those three nursing homes in that big batch (500)?

But the problem is the test doesn't become positive immediately so people exposed in the last day or so need not test positive.
As well there are false negative results-the person may have the disease but the test doesn't pick it up which is why in many places a second test is done.

 

[astrosly]

Does anyone know how these repatriation or charter flight operate?
I believe Lion was operating both to ADL but who chooses which airline gets the job and are there any government subsidies?
Just wondering why QF or VA weren’t being used and is it because of cost or rules and regulation?

The repatriation flights from India must be the ones referenced in this story:

Australians stranded in India pay for their own rescue flights home

Tired of waiting for a rescue from Canberra, a group of Australian travellers and aviation specialists have come together to organise charter flights for a rescue mission out of India.

www.abc.net.au

Aircraft leasing company with Lion Air aircraft organised private charters with government's permission.

 

[p--and--t]

Does anyone know how these repatriation or charter flight operate?
I believe Lion was operating both to ADL but who chooses which airline gets the job and are there any government subsidies?
Just wondering why QF or VA weren’t being used and is it because of cost or rules and regulation?

As I understand it, in each case there are lengthy and touchy diplomatic negotiations both ends for each repatriation flight and breaking the lock-down rules etc. e.g.for the repats out of Wuhan AU had to bribe the Chinese with a couple of cargo loads of PPE. In other cases the other gov might demand their carrier be used and not ours. In other cases, the repats themselves have decided the offer from AU carriers is too expensive or got sick of waiting for the negotiations and negotiated their own charter or got their tour/cruise organiser to foot the bill.

Edit: Also there is the situation where QF and VA as companies and or their appropriate aircraft for the task are not certified or have rights to take off and land in the other country.

 

[OZDUCK]

Only one case for W.A yesterday. He was a close contact of a previously infected person and had been in isolation since 8 April so, hopefully, little contact with others while infectious.

 

[Pushka]

Two days of zero in Adelaide and this was after they opened up the criteria for testing very widely. If another few days goes by then we may have escaped Easter. Of course we are now going to be quarantining over 800 citizens from India this week.

 

[DC3]

Two days of zero in Adelaide and this was after they opened up the criteria for testing very widely ....

At last. More testing

Edit: Test. Test. Test.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks.
Just a little perplexed why QF or VA weren’t used for the India flights when they are being used for various other repatriation flights around the world. Maybe cost comes into it but I thought the government were subsidising these flights anyway

Might be what the Indian Government allows.

 

[p--and--t]

Might be what the Indian Government allows.

I doubt VA (and maybe QF) have landing rights in India for a scheduled flight and they would need to be negotiated before they could travel there.

 

[RooFlyer]

Tas Public Health Director Veitch has made a statement re NW Tas cluster of cases: From the Oz (probably paywalled, scroll down for the story if you can get there). In part:

Medical staff in northwest Tasmania continued to work despite having respiratory infection symptoms and this was an “important factor” in the region’s major COVID-19 outbreak, say health officials.

Public Health Director Mark Veitch on Tuesday morning said new cases in the northwest outbreak were “trailing off”, with five new cases overnight bringing the total to 112.

Dr Veitch said a number of factors had been identified as potentially playing a role in the outbreak, which has severely restricted access to several regional hospitals.

“We know that there were a number of staff who had symptoms when they were working over the time of the outbreak; often relatively mild symptoms,” Dr Veitch said.

“And we think that is probably an important factor. We also know that staff in hospitals can mix in (shift) handover rooms and various settings where it is impossible to maintain social distancing. We think that could have been a factor.

“We also know there were some unrecognised cases among patients that could have contributed to transmission. And at the very start of it, we know that there were two people admitted as infections arising from the Ruby Princess (cruise ship).”

Dr Veitch would not comment on claims that some northwest health workers held a dinner party that may have contributed to the outbreak among staff. “The Police are undertaking an investigation and as an operational matter it is not … for me to comment,” he said. “When we did our contact tracing…we found that across the cases that we dealt with there seemed to be very few gatherings of any kind undertaken by staff.”

 

[Pushka]

So this is a worry. SA reported another positive today. From a person in their twenties who had returned from overseas and had been in quarantine. Then released. And had been mixing as per everyone else. But their symptoms were mild and they only just got tested as their symptoms worsened. I understand the nightmare that testing everyone from overseas might present but on the other hand, clearly just a quarantine isn't the complete answer.

 

[RooFlyer]

Another variant: Family member of my neighbour (not living with them) got the virus, did 14 days at their home, recovered, got tested - negative. A few days later felt crook again and has just been tested. I haven't heard the result, but if they have the virus now, it was either a false negative after they 'recovered', or they have re-acquired it.

 

[burmans]

So this is a worry. SA reported another positive today. From a person in their twenties who had returned from overseas and had been in quarantine. Then released. And had been mixing as per everyone else. But their symptoms were mild and they only just got tested as their symptoms worsened. I understand the nightmare that testing everyone from overseas might present but on the other hand, clearly just a quarantine isn't the complete answer.

Yes, all the indications are to get out of this current lockdown we need a twin strategy of increased testing and then better contact tracing (hence the proposed app).

 

[tgh]

Problem is that the testing is unreliable ; until we have really accurate testing we are still up the creek

 

[RooFlyer]

Problem is that the testing is unreliable ; until we have really accurate testing we are still up the creek

Can I be a bit ... cynical? The blurb is 'flattening the curve'. When I've heard 'elimination' put to the various expert talking heads, I don't think they've said that as an objective, straight out. Until there is a vaccine, maybe the un-revealed anticipation is to have the virus slowly burbling along, not over-whelming the health system? Re-lock-downs announced 'locally' as needs be.

 

[Pushka]

Can I be a bit ... cynical? The blurb is 'flattening the curve'. When I've heard 'elimination' put to the various expert talking heads, I don't think they've said that as an objective, straight out. Until there is a vaccine, maybe the un-revealed anticipation is to have the virus slowly burbling along, not over-whelming the health system? Re-lock-downs announced 'locally' as needs be.

Agree. We can't eliminate it but we do have to jump on any potential outbreak because they will always be there. People's immune systems and this virus are just - flakey. Let alone test error. Which is why we need the app....

 

[woodyren]

I had my 4th test yesterday. I received a call from local health this morning at around 10 am in which they informed me I was still positive. The caller stated that the virus levels were very low and they would retest me again in 2 days.

At around 12pm I received another call from the same person informing me that they had made an error and the result she had informed me about was the result from last week. She said they hadn't received yesterdays result and she would call me when they have it.

They called again around 2 pm and informed me that the result was clear and that I will be released from isolation with an email from NSW Health tomorrow.

I plan to ask NSW Health a few questions about potential for me to get involved in any follow up studies on antibodies etc.