Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[lovetravellingoz]

Of note, and relevance to Australia, is that in New Zealand that a Auckland Quarantine worker has now tested positive and has been reported by the NZ Ministry of Health. This follows, but is not linked to the two recent quarantine workers who tested positive in Christchurch, which was also revealed today as that there were two separate events infecting both workers at the facility. ie This is 3 recent quarantine breaches

More details here on these 3 latest quarantine breaches: New Zealand records Fresh cases of COVID19

And it also follows another half dozen breaches that occurred in their second wave, plus the still unknown source of most of the cases in their second wave. All such breaches being in facilities which are reported to have been operated to a high standard.

This in itself is not a source for alarm as it is to be expected that just as in hospitals that if you are dealing with Covid 19 positive people on a regular basis, that some staff will get infected.

What matters most is that the systems are in place are robust enough to contain any such breaches. The trickier ones being like the port worker in NZ where there was a little time for cases to grow. And possibly the index case for the second wave which is still unknown, but from the genomic testing is likely to have been a new strain that entered NZ by a path unknown. This is why sewer surveillance is important to help in assisting such unknown transmission chains.

In Vic there were three hotel quarantine breaches at the start of the second wave. One went no where, one generated some cases and the third was the source of the vast majority of cases.

This is why the improvements that Vic has made since the start of the second wave are so important so when the next breach does occur (whether from international travellers, interstate travellers or sea/air freight......or other random possibilities such as drug smugglers) that it will be contained, and not allowed to grow.

This includes the hotel quarantine system in Vic which has continued to operate mainly for positive local cases who could not isolate at home , though it has also had a very low level of international returnees in it (ie mainly those with special exemptions) since most international arrivals into Victoria were ceased, but which will be resumed in the near future.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Nsw mystery case watch

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

So an expected change today due to usual aging.

Nsw mystery case watch

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

With yesterday’s/Friday’s mystery case, there is about 6 hours left to find the link for the purposes of Qld’s border clock

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

With all the ideas to get to no more mystery cases, I think they are not likely to be practical To implement.

1) where masks indoors - NSW Government hasn’t even mandated masks for public transport like buses despite the request from the drivers union. So it makes it an unlikely suggested change in stance.
2) incentive for testing - again anything further unlikely, I think NSW is already a party to the Federal funding for one-off payments for those testing without leave entitlements.

 

[Lynda2475]

As stated many times South Western Sydney (and Western Sydney) are low income high recent migrant population areas, and this demographic has had low compliance to Covid Safe practices as was most vividly demonstrated in Victoria. It is unlikely the state government will crack down harder in these areas for fear of being accused of being racist.

For those suggesting a testing blitz, there are more free testing clinics in southwest sydney than anywhere else in the state. And whenever there is an outbreak in a new suburb a pop up clinic is mobilised the next day (as has happened most recently in Moss Vale). Short of forcing people to be tested which i dont think they can legally do outside of hotel quarantine, there isnt much more the state can do. The offer of financial support for those who need to isolate and dont have sick leave is already available.

Those with symptoms who selfishly dont get tested and idiots who give their business to venues not following covid safe guidelines are a real problem and reason why elimination is not viable.

Most recent cases have been households contacts, a place where compulsory masks wouldnt apply.

In my inner sydney suburb everyone on the busses except very small children have been masked, same with supermarket, and my LGA hasnt had a single case since April. All my local cafes, resturants and clubs have had QR codes since May, if venues in South West Sydney still arent doing this, then by all means fine them and force them to close, its pure laziness, since the free QR codes have been available since start of August.

There is virtually no public support in NSW for stricter measures because the case numbers have been relatively low and stable (and largely confined to suburbs you wouldnt go to unless you lived in the area). Community spread has never exceeded the states ability to track and trace nor treat. NSW hospitals have never been overwhelmed and since the 2nd wave was seeded from Vic, it thankfully hasnt made its way back into aged care facilities.

I cant see GB caving into pressure from Queensland to adopt an elimination strategy when the agreed strategy from national cabinet is for supression, and NSW has done an excellent job at surpressing the virus to very manageable levels, without needing to close it borders to anyone other than Victoria temporarily.

ScoMo has been clear that WA and Queensland will not be allowed to join any international travel bubbles with NZ (and whomever is next) until they fully remove their domestic borders. At some point if Qld and WA want direct NZ flights (and posisbly tourists from other pacific islands, Singapore, South Korea) they will need to accept the small risk of opening to all of NSW first.

 

[moa999]

why couldn’t NSW do a MASSIVE testing blitz in W and SW Sydney - like the VIC rapid response model....

Even with far less cases over the last few months NSW testing rates have only been just below Vic.

And they do go rapid. A testing centre was up and running in Moss Vale within 24hrs of the positive tests.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

While daily testing for NSW has been just below Vic in total tests, they are lower when compared by head of population. People in Victoria however until very recently have had more perceived incentive and hence motivation to present for testing.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I’m guessing that’s 9 days without a case, so 19 days to Covid-normal step for Victoria

 

[jakeseven7]

I’m guessing that’s 9 days without a case, so 19 days to Covid-normal step for Victoria

And there appears to be no news on the NSW mystery case being resolved, so if we go back to the rules of the QLD border clock it will be reset and NSW sent back to day zero which means that by the time the monthly QLD border review happens in 21 days, NSW will still be classified a hotspot.

This means Sydney will be banned from QLD for any Christmas reunification due to being a hotspot.

The big question will be ‘where’ geographically the case is attributed to.... by QLD? As in will QLD assign it to Sydney metro? And keep Sydney as a hot spot...

I wonder if they would just ban W and SW Sydney rather than all of Sydney...Appears from last months border meeting Dr Young doesn’t like that approach as infected people from Sydney could be travelling all over Sydney..

Will be interesting to see in the QLD presser what they have to say about the Sydney situation.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

New Victorian Restrictions are in this document (click on link):

• Some changes from tonight, and further easings in two weeks time.
• Masks stay for now.
• The Melbourne Boundary goes tonight = I start my holiday on the Murray River tomorrow
  
• https://covidlive.com.au/docs/third-step-victoria-8-nov.pdf

Page 1 of 10 is below...

 

[Anna]

I'm alarmed that as of late yesterday, there is more active covid in SA than in Vic. 18 active cases in SA hotel quarantine, and 15 active cases in Vic (not hotel quarantine).

It's the steep, relatively sudden increase in SA that alarms me more than 18 active cases per se. And there has been no reassurance to the SA public about why there's has been a sudden increase. Just 'nothing to see here' cut-and-paste daily announcements from SA Health with exactly the same minimal info as when it was 0-2 active cases at a time.

It reminds me of the time back when Vic's daily figures were 10 times the number of the rest of Australia (ie 10 when everyone else was 1) and nobody thought that was odd. Look what happened there.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

There are now only FOUR Active Cases in Vic today!





Plus despite being the weekend test numbers stay high.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I'm alarmed that as of late yesterday, there is more active covid in SA than in Vic. 18 active cases in SA hotel quarantine, and 15 active cases in Vic (not hotel quarantine).

It's the steep, relatively sudden increase in SA that alarms me more than 18 active cases per se. And there has been no reassurance to the SA public about why there's has been a sudden increase. Just 'nothing to see here' cut-and-paste daily announcements from SA Health with exactly the same minimal info as when it was 0-2 active cases at a time.

It reminds me of the time back when Vic's daily figures were 10 times the number of the rest of Australia (ie 10 when everyone else was 1) and nobody thought that was odd. Look what happened there.

But if they are in managed isolation in hotel quarantine what is giving you cause for alarm?
Perhaps there has been a recent return of Aussies from areas with widespread Covid (Europe, UK, US, Pakistan).
SA has agreed to help repatriate them and must shoulder the burden of managed hotel quarantine.
There are no hotel quarantine cases in Victoria because they aren’t open for returned travellers. Once they are the infections there will start to rise again.

 

[nlagalle]

I'm alarmed that as of late yesterday, there is more active covid in SA than in Vic. 18 active cases in SA hotel quarantine, and 15 active cases in Vic (not hotel quarantine).

It's the steep, relatively sudden increase in SA that alarms me more than 18 active cases per se. And there has been no reassurance to the SA public about why there's has been a sudden increase. Just 'nothing to see here' cut-and-paste daily announcements from SA Health with exactly the same minimal info as when it was 0-2 active cases at a time.

It reminds me of the time back when Vic's daily figures were 10 times the number of the rest of Australia (ie 10 when everyone else was 1) and nobody thought that was odd. Look what happened there.

why would you be “alarmed”? The cases are all incoming people from countries with Covid cases. It’s a good thing they are being picked up in hotel quarantine! Worry about community transmission, not the cases in quarantine.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

There are no hotel quarantine cases in Victoria because they aren’t open for returned travellers.

Not quite correct.

Hotel quarantine has still been operating for a very small number of international returnees with exemptions ( This for example includes those allowed for compassionate reasons) and for a much larger of number of people who quarantine at home (has been for hospital/essential workers etc plus also people in households that have been asked to isolate).

 

[Princess Fiona]

Not quite correct.

Hotel quarantine has still been operating for a very small number of international returnees with exemptions ( This for example includes those allowed for compassionate reasons) and for a much larger of number of people who quarantine at home (has been for hospital/essential workers etc plus also people in households that have been asked to isolate).

The latter category is not returned travellers and MEL international is not receiving passenger flights.
My point remains valid IMHO

 

[jakeseven7]

There are now only FOUR Active Cases in Vic today!


View attachment 232908


Plus despite being the weekend test numbers stay high.

View attachment 232909

Incredible testing rates holding high

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The latter category is not returned travellers and MEL international is not receiving passenger flights.
My point remains valid IMHO

Yes your point was valid. I just said that that there have been a very small number of international returnees going through quarantine in Vic still.

The point of mentioning that it had been operating with mainly non-travellers was to reassure that hotel quarantine is and has been operating well in Vic for some time. So when international travellers resume it will be into operating facilities and not ones just opened.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

PS: With Vic hotel quarantine there have been no recent cases that have been transmitted between worker of guests (other than those staying together in the same room).

While some staff have been positive cases, they were all shown to have caught the virus outside of the workplace and were at a time of large community spread.

 

[N860CR]

And there appears to be no news on the NSW mystery case being resolved, so if we go back to the rules of the QLD border clock it will be reset and NSW sent back to day zero which means that by the time the monthly QLD border review happens in 21 days, NSW will still be classified a hotspot.

This means Sydney will be banned from QLD for any Christmas reunification due to being a hotspot.

To complicate the matter further, these new cases aren’t in Sydney and are in areas that currently are open to Queensland. So assuming they only review once a month, I’d say they should open to Sydney and close to the Bowral region.