Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Must...Fly!]

And that is the real worry.

If people in all states kept social distance, wore a mask indoors, observed gathering limits, always stayed home if feeling unwell and got tested if slightest symptom then states wouldnt need to keep slamming borders shut.

Its been 10 months, and is a great concern that the states who keep shutting down (WA and Qld especially) obviously still dont trust their contract tracing and health facilities to be able to treat and deal with low levels of cases in the community.

This new community outbreak in Vic is the first proper test of their improvements, so we watch with interest to see if they do contain it, especially given the lag fform exposure to detection.

As has been stated on this forum, RSV diagnoses in WA are well over double the normal seasonal rate. And on a trend for all non-influenza viruses, primarily driven by RSV, to possibly be the highest in 12 months (yes that includes winter - and the initial COVID wave in WA).

See top of page 5.

https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Infectious-disease/VirusWAtch/2020/20201206_virus_watch.pdf

 

[Must...Fly!]

Victoria closing its border to the whole state of NSW now.

This is just completely mad. These people live in an absolute fantasy land.

 

[Pushka]

And that is the real worry.

If people in all states kept social distance, wore a mask indoors, observed gathering limits, always stayed home if feeling unwell and got tested if slightest symptom then states wouldnt need to keep slamming borders shut.

Its been 10 months, and is a great concern that the states who keep shutting down (WA and Qld especially) obviously still dont trust their contract tracing and health facilities to be able to treat and deal with low levels of cases in the community.

This new community outbreak in Vic is the first proper test of their improvements, so we watch with interest to see if they do contain it, especially given the lag fform exposure to detection.

From the comments today in SA, they were full of praise for the Victorian information provided so far so . Perhaps if masks were mandated then some states wouldn't be as restrictive. I also think the judgement of having the Test match in NSW may have come back to haunt them. That and the insistence on Fireworks when ours were cancelled months ago.

I dunno. We have to find a better way forward. But right now that appears to be vaccination. Financially we cannot keep doing this to Australia.

 

[Lynda2475]

Victoria closing its border to the whole state of NSW now.

This is just completely mad. These people live in an absolute fantasy land.

You could see that coming this morning by they way their govt was telling victorians to return home now even if in a green zone.

At least SA are allowing their own residents home even with hard border, Vic are again locking out their own residents if they cant make it home within a day.

 

[Must...Fly!]

You could see that coming this morning by they way their govt was telling victorians to return home now even if in a green zone.

At least SA are allowing their own residents home even with hard border, Vic are again locking out their own residents if they cant make it home within a day.

I am a citizen of Australia, I have the same rights, as endorsed by the constitution, as someone resident in Broome, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Launceston, or anywhere else in the country for that matter.

It is plainly bizarre that we are accepting of this suite of policies that discriminate based on place of residence.

 

[Lynda2475]

erhaps if masks were mandated then some states wouldn't be as restrictive.

I dont think that is true, the only state that has ever mandated masks outside is Victoria and there was still a long time for most states to open back up to them after they started their double doughnut streak.

The fact is majority fo the spread in the NB and now the Croydon cluster has happened in homes, where even if their was a mask mandate people wouldnt be wearing masks.

Personally I think it would be mad to go to the cricket, not because of Covid but because it must be the most boring sport out of all the boring sports, Id rather watch paint dry

From the hints at this morning presser Id expect to see the crowd numbers halved again. The risk isnt the cricket, its the PT the way there, however that could easily be fixed by allowing free parking on the grassed areas of moore park and the EQ carpark for anyone with a cricket ticket.

 

[Lynda2475]

It is plainly bizarre that we are accepting of this suite of policies that discriminate based on place of residence.

Seeing the overaction of many state premieres I have never been more glad to be a NSW resident. But I mostly agree with your sentiment.

 

[SydneySwan]

At least SA are allowing their own residents home even with hard border, Vic are again locking out their own residents if they cant make it home within a day.

As a NSW taxpayer I do not want to be funding refugee camps for Victorians at the NSW border!

 

[andye]

Can you 'kill' a virus?

Most states are (without disclosing it) pursuing an 'elimination strategy'. It won't work unless State premiers want to further hobble economies and people's lives.

Lockdowns and other restrictions have a far greater economic and social cost than this virus.

All Australian states are pursuing an elimination strategy-its just some are prepared to restrict their economies and their population's activities more than others in the pursuit of elimination.

Sweden is one of the few places that have followed a 'manage the virus/flatten the curve' strategy (with their own world-class health service). Their leaders made the point that there is an economic (and mental health) cost to higher degrees of lockdown . Their strategy may not necessarily have failed on their terms, if their economy proves to contract less than their neighbours' (part of the rationale was they would have more money to spend on their future health services after the pandemic passes). Some of the "advantages' of their strategy have been blunted by the relatively quick release of vaccines.

Australia's de facto elimination strategy has managed to restrict deaths while also having a relatively low economic contraction (for a pandemic) and for much of this year fairly normal day-to-day activity in large parts of the country. This is not to discount the suffering of individual businesses (particularly those reliant on open international borders) and those who went through prolonged lockdown.

Personally, I would rather be in Sydney (even sitting in a Northern Beaches hotspot) than Stockholm for both national economic and health reasons. It goes without saying that I'd rather be here than New York or London

 

[Lynda2475]

As a NSW taxpayer I do not want to be funding refugee camps for Victorians at the NSW border!

Me either!

And given Vic still arent pulling their weight with international arrivals, they shoudl easily be able to accomodate returning victorians in their Quarantine program if needed.

 

[Lynda2475]

All Australian states are pursuing an elimination strategy-its just some are prepared to restrict their economies and their population's activities more than others in the pursuit of elimination.

I would say 5 states and 2 territories. Whilst NSW would like to see local transmission eliminated, i dont think they have ever pursued this to the extent of other states, GB is a realist, she has alway said we are to expect the virus to keep popping up as mistakes happen and whilstever we are doing the lions share (still over 55%) of international arrivals and there is no widespread vaccination.

At least NSW contract tracers are battle hardened.

 

[oz_mark]

From the comments today in SA, they were full of praise for the Victorian information provided so far so . Perhaps if masks were mandated then some states wouldn't be as restrictive. I also think the judgement of having the Test match in NSW may have come back to haunt them. That and the insistence on Fireworks when ours were cancelled months ago.

I dunno. We have to find a better way forward. But right now that appears to be vaccination. Financially we cannot keep doing this to Australia.

Some of our premiers are gatekeepers, and others are actual leaders. Unfortunately, we have too many of the former.

 

[antycbr]

In my view we are now looking at a federal bailout of Qantas and Virgin. This is peak season for travel and both have been heavily impacted. If WA closed border to VIC due to the “reverse crossroads” incidents that’s yet another nail in the coffin.

This should be deducted from the GST receipts of all states.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Some of our premiers are gatekeepers, and others are actual leaders. Unfortunately, we have too many of the former.

Speaking to relatives here in WA, it is actually scary how much vitriol Gladys gets.

She is the only state/territory leader living in the real world. Possibly the NT Chief Minister lives in the same neighbourhood.

The rest, however, reside somewhere on Mars.

 

[andye]

I would say 5 states and 2 territories. Whilst NSW would like to see local transmission eliminated, i dont think they have ever pursued this to the extent of other states, GB is a realist, she has alway said we are to expect the virus to keep popping up as mistakes happen and whilstever we are doing the lions share (still over 55%) of international arrivals and there is no widespread vaccination.

At least NSW contract tracers are battle hardened.

Yes NT and ACT too
The outbreaks in NSW have generally come from other states or countries. NSW could have locked down after Crossroads but in my opinion still tried for elimination using contact tracing/individual quarantine. I still think NSW is aiming for elimination this time round but needed a partial (and fairly soft) lockdown in Northern Beaches to supplement-we shall see if the strategy is a continued run of good form or not

 

[lovetravellingoz]

New cases today now stands at 5 (to go into tomorrow's official figures) after 2 more cases have been confirmed today.

Victoria will shut its border to New South Wales from 11.59pm on January 1 to protect the state from a spreading COVID-19 cluster.

Anyone returning home tonight or tomorrow night will need to undertake a coronavirus test and go into isolation for 14 days.
Acting premier Jacinta Allan said two new cases detected in Victoria today are close contacts of existing positive cases and are currently quarantining.

The number of close contacts in quarantine is now more than 70.

Victoria recorded five new community infections today following three yesterday.

"We have to do everything we possibly can to lock in the situation we have here in Victoria, keep ahead of where case numbers might be, especially in light of case numbers coming out of NSW and to protect the precious gains we have achieved over the course of 2020 here in Victoria," Ms Allan said.

Borders shut down: Victoria blocks all of New South Wales, WA reimposes hard border with Victoria

www.9news.com.au

Victoria has confirmed another two locally-acquired coronavirus cases, taking its total to eight.

The increase has prompted a hard border with NSW from 11.59pm on January 1, acting premier Jacinta Allan said on Thursday afternoon.

Anyone who arrives back in Victoria from anywhere in NSW after that time will have to go into isolation for 14 days.


“This is going to cause some disruption for Victorians who may be holidaying,“ Ms Allan said, apologising for the disruption.

“However these difficult decisions are about protecting the community, protecting and keeping case numbers low and doing everything we can to lock in the gains we have made over the course of 2020.”

Masks will be mandatory indoors from 5pm on Thursday and the number of visitors allowed in Victorian homes is down to 15 from 30 under changes annouced by Ms Allan earlier in the day.

The two additional cases identified on Thursday afternoon are close contacts of the six previously announced.

The new cases, which first emerged on Wednesday night, ended a 60-day streak without infections for Victoria.

It’s believed all six cases - including two women in their 40s and a woman in her 70s - are tied to outbreaks of the virus in Sydney.

All are directly or indirectly linked to the Smile Buffalo Thai restaurant in Black Rock on December 21, which was attended by a NSW returned traveller.

That traveller returned before border permits were in place and is being tested on Thursday.

Vic virus cluster grows AGAIN

Victoria’s daily coronavirus tally has risen to eight as it announces it will close the border with NSW.

www.perthnow.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The Glen Waverley 1.30-5.00pm exposure has now been split into more detail to show that a movie was seen.

 

[Must...Fly!]

WA health minister is about to talk.

I am not looking forward to hearing this. I hope the family is not restricted to the lunacy of staying home for 14 days because I came from Victoria on the 25th.

 

[Pushka]

I dont think that is true, the only state that has ever mandated masks outside is Victoria and there was still a long time for most states to open back up to them after they started their double doughnut streak.

The fact is majority fo the spread in the NB and now the Croydon cluster has happened in homes, where even if their was a mask mandate people wouldnt be wearing masks.

Personally I think it would be mad to go to the cricket, not because of Covid but because it must be the most boring sport out of all the boring sports, Id rather watch paint dry

From the hints at this morning presser Id expect to see the crowd numbers halved again. The risk isnt the cricket, its the PT the way there, however that could easily be fixed by allowing free parking on the grassed areas of moore park and the EQ carpark for anyone with a cricket ticket.

We had to wear masks in situations in South Australia, namely everywhere involving care services, eg chemists etc.

Post automatically merged: Dec 31, 2020

Some of our premiers are gatekeepers, and others are actual leaders. Unfortunately, we have too many of the former.

Well, until we have the vaccine I don't know of any alternative right now.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

, Vic are again locking out their own residents if they cant make it home within a day.

That is not accurate:

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/202012/NSW%20Border%20Crossing%20Permit%20Scheme%20Directions%20%28No%203%29%20-%2030%20December%202020.pdf