Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[james4321]

Where have you heard that? My goodness come and see inner city brisbane where I live, check in compliance and social distancing is pretty sloppy. I can't really compare it to other cities though.

If check in compliance is not being done by a venue then we need to call that out, and insist that check in compliance is practiced - if its not then go somewhere else. Its our responsibility and its for our benefit.

 

[VPS]

When we went to FNQ back in August. We couldn't go anywhere, even for just a cup of coffee without logging in. The best one was the Daintree Rainforest area run by the Indigenous population and they had records for possible tracing down Pat. In Adelaide, we don't even register. Anywhere.

I had to use a QR code to check into winery last week in McLaren Vale

 

[dajop]

If check in compliance is not being done by a venue then we need to call that out, and insist that check in compliance is practiced - if its not then go somewhere else. Its our responsibility and its for our benefit.

It's interesting, when Melbourne first opened up a few weeks ago, there were a few reports of some (maybe a very small number) of restaurants/cafes not collecting any details of customers - either by QR code or pen and paper. The suggestion by the authors and most commenters was to not just boycott but also to report such venues.

However if you read some of the comments in the Age there was a contrary attitude "... oh cut them some slack, the business has already suffered during lockdown, you shouldn't report as that will make an already suffering business suffer even more if they have fines or are shutdown".

How much effort does it take to buy an exercise book and rule a couple of lines on it ??

 

[Pushka]

I had to use a QR code to check into winery last week in McLaren Vale

I’ve never used a QR code here but good to see it’s starting. And we’ve been to a couple of McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills wineries. Restaurants. Etc.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Zero cases in Vic today. The twelfth in a row.

 

[blackcat20]

Test numbers are still fantastic.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Test numbers are still fantastic.

Highest since 31 Oct.

So it looks like the new testing blitz is starting to take effect.

 

[blackcat20]

Highest since 31 Oct.

So it looks like the new testing blitz is starting to take effect.

High pollen count probably triggering a lot of people to test even though they know its likely hayfever.

 

[jb747]

If States really have their contact tracing up to scratch and their isolation proceedures and enforcement right they should not be afraid of the introduction of a few cases of Covid from terrible guests from interstate.
If they do institute bans they are in fact saying they don't trust their systems.

Which would be every state except Victoria.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I Hope the string of zeros in VICcontinues. The only potential issue is the next case is likely to be a mystery case. That’s what happened in NSW ( I think they got to 11/12/13 days) .hope that doesn’t befall Vic

 

[Lynda2475]

The NSW cases were seeded in South Western Sydney by a visiting Victorian,

Which was based on the case of Melbourne still having a low daily incidence, and they wanted to see if opening Melbourne to the regions caused that incidence to spread. But, now they’ve had 11 days of zero incidence in Melbourne, and it’s been that for much longer in the regions. So, why not base that opening on the start of the run in Melbourne. Presumably, mixing zero and zero, still gives zero.

The date has been announced and that allows people to plan. At this stage no one else except ACT has made that commitment, NSW isnt Queensland we dont keep resetting a border clock, even if you have a case today, the 23rd November date will stick.

Another reason for not openng quicker is that Vic havent resumed taking international flights, no one yet has confidence that the hotel issues have been properly resolved. I kow there have been some extremely limited people still in hotel quarantine in Vic, but no mass arrivals, it is more than time Vic resumed taking their share again.

At the current numbers perhaps not, but I think Victoria will actually be quite likely to lock out any state that has issues. Basically, Victorians have already been through a very coughty time, and they will not be welcoming any chance of interstate issues restarting the virus here.

Which would be ironic because NSW resurgance in community transmissions were seeded by a Victorian at Crossroads, a Victorian visiting south coast town, Victorians corssing into Albury etc. NSW has managed to keep cases low and not allow those seeding events to lead to become hundreds of deaths, all without a second lock down. Our businesses were open, kids were iin school, our residents free to travel anywhere in the state.

No other states covid-normal processed have been so well pressure tested. Any state slamming borders shut again because of a handful of cases, obviously doesnt trust their own systems to repsond to cases.

But, why would Victorians have to fly, and not transit NSW? That makes zero sense given that Qld is open to regional NSW. What you’re suggesting is that I have to go to Qld by driving to Melbourne and then flying, whilst my mate, living 5kms away from me in Albury, can simply drive. Anyway, no caravan, no go.

You can drive from Vic to Qld but you cant stop/transit any of the greater sydney LGAs named at hotspots in the 14 days before, so you need to plot a careful route and get evidence along the way at where you stopped (receipts for use of camp grounds etc).

Im predicting that at the end of the month Qld will close to regional NSW since the most recent mystery case was a regional and not urban one.

People need certainty on the opening dates (sadvance notice) to make bookings and the rules for closure as Queensland in particluar seem to derive great joy from being able to slam the borders shut even though there is not health criteria for doing so. No one from NSW since second wave ever travelled to Qld whilst covid positive.

 

[Lynda2475]

Which would be every state except Victoria.

Disagree. NSW trace and trace systems can be trusted, they have worked so well we havent had to have a second lock down despites late closure of our border to Vic (which by the way DA requested of GB). NSW was last to close to Vic and willbe first to reopen to Vic. Also the first to open to NZ.

NSW didnt close border to Queensland even though there were days where their community transmission (prison outbreak) were higher than NSW.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I Hope the string of zeros in VICcontinues. The only potential issue is the next case is likely to be a mystery case. That’s what happened in NSW ( I think they got to 11/12/13 days) .hope that doesn’t befall Vic

It is looking more and more likely now that the next case somewhere in Australia will be a quarantine or shipping/air crew breach such as is happening in NZ.

Kiwis are doing a great job of containing such instances but have had half a dozen such breaches since the Vic second wave began.

If the rest of the world stays infected then it will happen here too. Just need to act swiftly and well when it does.

 

[jakeseven7]

Which would be every state except Victoria.

Tasmania is also backing themselves clearly, as is the NT, SA and ACT - all being open to open to NSW and accepting of Sydney's ongoing low level of cases for weeks now...

The NSW cases were seeded in South Western Sydney by a visiting Victorian,

I think we all understand that

But NSW has chosen how they wanted to respond to that seeding and as you pointed out they made the call not to put in a quick lock down to try and squash it and instead elected to manage it with ongoing track and trace and restrictions, knowing that the virus would continue to circulate within Sydney.

The 'problem' with that decision is not the actual decision itself, it is that the rest of Australia appears to have achieved community elimination. And in all states excluding VIC, this certainly hasn't been achieved because of any incredible tracking, tracing or testing operations that is for sure, its predominantly because the numbers were so low to begin with.

And now to complicate things, VIC appears to have accidentally achieved community elimination (so far) as well, though most experts are pretty confident it is still lurking in VIC somewhere despite their very impressive testing rates.

The date has been announced and that allows people to plan. At this stage no one else except ACT has made that commitment, NSW isnt Queensland we dont keep resetting a border clock, even if you have a case today, the 23rd November date will stick.

Tas has announced Dec 1 for VIC and we will see SA probably announce a date on Friday with NT murmuring yesterday in the news that they are about to announce shortly. QLD and WA... sigh who knows.

No other states covid-normal processed have been so well pressure tested. Any state slamming borders shut again because of a handful of cases, obviously doesnt trust their own systems to repsond to cases.

Totally agree - but the Federal medical team conducted 'simulated' stress testing on QLD and we did 'pass'..... Finkel also reviewed VIC and NSW and said VIC has now the best system, people and processes alongside NSW (both borne out of real life necessity of course)

Im predicting that at the end of the month Qld will close to regional NSW since the most recent mystery case was a regional and not urban one.

Equally then by that logic QLD should at the same time open to Greater Sydney then alongside all of VIC (unless something dramatic happens in the next 2 weeks).

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

30 or 31 active local cases (31 if you count as local the secondary case already in medi-hotel in SA). NSW is the back market on 26.

 

[Lynda2475]

Equally then by that logic QLD should at the same time open to Greater Sydney then alongside all of VIC (unless something dramatic happens in the next 2 weeks).

But Qld doesnt use logic!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Tasmania is also backing themselves clearly, as is the NT, SA and ACT - all being open to open to NSW and accepting of Sydney's ongoing low level of cases for weeks now...



I think we all understand that

But NSW has chosen how they wanted to respond to that seeding and as you pointed out they made the call not to put in a quick lock down to try and squash it and instead elected to manage it with ongoing track and trace and restrictions, knowing that the virus would continue to circulate within Sydney.

The 'problem' with that decision is not the actual decision itself, it is that the rest of Australia appears to have achieved community elimination. And in all states excluding VIC, this certainly hasn't been achieved because of any incredible tracking, tracing or testing operations that is for sure, its predominantly because the numbers were so low to begin with.

And now to complicate things, VIC appears to have accidentally achieved community elimination (so far) as well, though most experts are pretty confident it is still lurking in VIC somewhere despite their very impressive testing rates.



Tas has announced Dec 1 for VIC and we will see SA probably announce a date on Friday with NT murmuring yesterday in the news that they are about to announce shortly. QLD and WA... sigh who knows.



Totally agree - but the Federal medical team conducted 'simulated' stress testing on QLD and we did 'pass'..... Finkel also reviewed VIC and NSW and said VIC has now the best system, people and processes alongside NSW (both borne out of real life necessity of course)



Equally then by that logic QLD should at the same time open to Greater Sydney then alongside all of VIC (unless something dramatic happens in the next 2 weeks).

NSW premier is going about this all wrong. Stop whingeing about Qld’s quarantine on arrival.
Praise Qld for allowing Qlder to join most of Australia being to spend the money and meet in regional NSW. Fantastic for Xmas get together etc.

Only whinge in relation to compassionate health example where appropriate exemption not given.

 

[Lynda2475]

NSW premier is going about this all wrong

I think most NSW people would disagree, GB's approval rating is super high, she has done a fantastic job in keeping NSW open to all except Victoria temporarily. NSW residents dont want to be unecessarily locked down.

I dont think GB is whinging, she simply stating the fact that there is no medical basis for Qld being closed to greater Sydney. AP is gleeful in denying access but in the long run its Queenslands tourism economy that suffers when you lock out Sydney which is Australia's largest economy.

The damage is largely done, most people have made their summer travel bookings already and they will be anywhere but Qld and WA because other states and territories have provided certainty and recognised the great job that NSW has done without being closed for business.

Qld is happy for NSW's GST to subsidize it, if GST stayed in the state where it was paid, Qld would be much more willing to let NSW in.

I see no reason why should GB shoudl compliment AP or JY decisions, sucking up wont change a thing.

 

[Pushka]

A weird one for SA. And Victoria. I’m presuming being from Victoria she is in quarantine and exempted traveller but that isn’t stated.

“South Australian authorities say a Melbourne woman has tested positive for coronavirus.

However, they believe she could be shedding virus particles from a previous infection.

She was at Melbourne Central between 2-5pm on November 8 and T4 Melbourne Airport 12-1pm on November 9.

An alert will also be issued at the airport in South Australia and anyone with symptoms or who visited these sites are being urged to get tested as a precaution.

This comes after two other positive tests were picked up in Melburnians yesterday.

Victoria's Health Minister Martin Foley says they are not infectious and are self-isolating while further tests are carried out.

“So, in an abundance of caution, both jurisdictions (Victoria and SA) have decided to align their public health advice this morning,” Mr Foley said.”