Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[drron]

Well NSW was just regifting.I am sure they said thanks to Victoria for the crossroads cluster.

 

[Lynda2475]

everyone suspected... thanks NSW for the NY present

Returning the favour for Crossroads, Thai Rock and Bateman's bay clusters last year which were seeded from Melbourne

 

[Must...Fly!]

From The Age;

A positive case attended Fonda, a Mexican restaurant on Flinders Lane between 6pm and 7pm on December 29. Positive cases also attended the Left Bank Melbourne bar and restaurant at Southbank on Christmas Day from 12pm to 2.30pm, and the Rockpool Bar and Grill at Crown Casino on December 23 between 1pm and 1.30pm.

The left bank is a worry given it was probably a big Christmas lunch. It's quite an open plan place with fresh air though, or at least can be.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The country is at risk? Well, it's a pandemic. However, my research indicates approx 117 active local cases in NSW and 18 in VIC.

If our health system is unable to deal and cope with those numbers, then we have far bigger problems than COVID-19.

I'm sure our health system could cope with those small numbers.

But as we have seen those numbers can grow exponentially.

Not only that, but we have no cure for covid. Someone goes to work in aged care and all of a sudden there are many people who can't be effectively treated and it leads to deaths, regardless of whether there's space and staff in the health system.

 

[moa999]

They have put themselves and put the rest of the country at risk,” Dr Moy said

NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay has also called for the government to mandate masks.

Sadly. Health professionals politicising issues for their own benefit.

Imagine if we had State SES commissioners publically undermining each other over the bushfire crisis.

Masks can help but are by no means a silver bullet, particularly if people don't also undertake hand washing distancing.
And making them compulsory brings in a whole heap of other enforcement issues than merely being "strongly encouraged".
Sadly not enough Sydney siders were listening to that message.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From The Age;



The left bank is a worry given it was probably a big Christmas lunch. It's quite an open plan place with fresh air though, or at least can be.

The outbreak notes indicate that he was at the bar for the Left bank.

For restaurants it will state if they dined or not.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Sadly. Health professionals politicising issues for their own benefit.

Imagine if we had State SES commissioners publically undermining each other over the bushfire crisis.

Masks can help but are by no means a silver bullet, particularly if people don't also undertake hand washing distancing.
And making them compulsory brings in a whole heap of other enforcement issues than merely being "strongly encouraged".
Sadly not enough Sydney siders were listening to that message.

From memory the Vic CHO estimated that masks had probably reduced transmission by about 25 %. Dont quote me on the exact figure.


I do recall the hq cleaner in NSW who was positive and travelled on public transport to and from work, plus other trips, while positive and not one other person became positive. Would that have been so without her voluntary diligence?

 

[moa999]

Would that have been so without her voluntary diligence?

I suspect those involved in HQ were told they needed to wear masks if travelling on PT (even if there was no formal fine etc)

Very different risk profile to the general populous

 

[Flying mermaid]

Canberra really has closed its borders to NSW affected areas. They had found people were just ignoring the request not to travel to the ACT and around 80 people per day were travelling from affected regions. They have now established a police check point and are checking cars and turning back anyone without an exemption.

 

[Pushka]

Canberra really has closed its borders to NSW affected areas. They had found people were just ignoring the request not to travel to the ACT and around 80 people per day were travelling from affected regions. They have now established a police check point and are checking cars and turning back anyone without an exemption.

My nephew in RAAF is about to be stationed in Canberra as of next Tuesday. Does this include Queanbeyan People? Although I guess he would have an exemption but his partner won't.

 

[drron]

From memory the Vic CHO estimated that masks had probably reduced transmission by about 25 %. Dont quote me on the exact figure.


I do recall the hq cleaner in NSW who was positive and travelled on public transport to and from work, plus other trips, while positive and not one other person became positive. Would that have been so without her voluntary diligence?

No one really knows how much masks decrease the chance of transmission.The evidence is mixed and there is no conclusive evidence.
The problem is masks really aren't meant to protect the wearer from disease in the way masks have been mandated.
Sure I wear a mask when i see a patient with a probable respiratory viral illness.But that mask is discarded immediately after the consult and a new mask used for the next patient.As well if it is a patient who it was deemed necessary to have a Covid swab I wear an N95 mask plus goggles as that is the State guidelines now.
So saying a mask reduces transmission by 25% is a guess and in most situations in public it is almost certainly too high a figure.

As to the wearing of a mask on public transport that will mean a reduction in risk because of the closeness of contact.but that person i believe had a commute of over an hour and changed modes of transport.By the end of the journey the mask would be less efficient.
But because in that situation a mask is good doesn't mean a positive person not wearing a mask will necessarily pass on the infection.That is often the case for example in close household situations when other family members do not develope Covid and uncommon for every exposed household member to become infected.

So NSW is getting it right now mandating mask at indoor venues only and encouraging their use in other situations if social distancing can't be practiced.

Now look to California where masks were mandated in mid June.

California Makes Wearing Masks Mandatory

‘The use of face coverings by everyone can limit the release of infected droplets when talking, coughing, and/or sneezing, as well as reinforce physical distancing,’ the order says.

www.forbes.com

And they have also been in lockdown of various strictness since then and severe lockdown since early December when the case number reached 1.2 million.Now over 2.2 million.Cases up over 90%,deaths up over 25% in a month despite this.

California Will Impose Its Strongest Virus Measures Since the Spring (Published 2020)

Millions of people across Southern and Central California are likely to see outdoor dining shuttered, playgrounds roped off and hair salons closed within days.

www.nytimes.com

And now they start the year with record cases and deaths with ICU capacity at 0%.

California hits record 585 COVID-19 deaths in 1 day as infections rage out of control

California started the new year by reporting a record 585 coronavirus deaths in a single day.

abc7.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The problem is masks really aren't meant to protect the wearer from disease in the way masks have been mandated.

I always thought the mask wasn't to protect me, but to stop any sneezes or aerosols I may produce reaching someone else!

 

[VPS]

Because gnome testing relates the Victorian cases to NSW, you can see how far and how quickly COVID can spread. I flew back into Perth Wednesday morning (30th) from Hobart via MEL. Had my G2G ready to scan. I received an email the next day at 2:30pm from WA Police advising me to self-isolate and to reply with my address. Followed by a text message that night. Yesterday I received a telephone call from the Police. They are right onto tracking! Anyway, I am now staying at home until January 14 and must have a test on the 10th. There were pages and pages of information both about requirements of self-isolation and the Emergency Act (abbreviated name). I am happy with the response.

My house won’t know what’s hit it! With all this the extra time I have at home, I’ll be reduced to house cleaning to fill in my time!

Just be careful and don't overdo it because it will then expect to be cleaned on a regular basis

 

[love_the_life]

The outbreak notes indicate that he was at the bar for the Left bank.

For restaurants it will state if they dined or not.

We had aa drink at the Left Bank on Monday of last week so hopefully won't be impacted as the person was there on 25th (Friday) according to ABC.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I suspect those involved in HQ were told they needed to wear masks if travelling on PT (even if there was no formal fine etc)

Very different risk profile to the general populous

In terms of catching it yes.

But as a case study still of note even if it is just the one example and so not statistically meaningful.

 

[jase05]

Sounding like QLD might be about to enact tougher border restrictions

Queensland CHO urges recent Victorian arrivals to quarantine until cleared​

By Matt Dennien​

Queensland’s top doctor has raised concern about the spread of cases across Victoria and advised recently returned travellers from the southern state to quarantine at home until cleared of the virus.
One close contact of a Victorian case has now been identified in the Mackay region, while a casual contact had been confirmed on the Gold Coast, with chief health officer Jeannette Young expecting more to come.
“While we are not announcing hotspots in Victoria at this stage, I am very concerned how the situation is escalating,” she said in an update on Saturday.
“Victoria’s own assessment of the situation is that the risk of spread is right across the state, not just in Melbourne, which is why they have imposed restrictions across their entire state.”
As a result anyone in Queensland who has been in Victoria on or since December 21 has been urged to get tested and quarantine at home or their accommodation until they receive a negative result.
Dr Young said anyone still considering travel to NSW or Victoria needed to be aware they may not have enough time to return home before hotel quarantine is imposed if border restrictions change.
“And if you’re already in Victoria or New South Wales, consider coming home,” she added.
Queensland now remains one of the only states not directly impacted by the new outbreak to not have expanded travel restrictions to broader sections of NSW or into Victoria, after Tasmanian authorities on Saturday barred visitors who had recently been to nine Victorian locations now linked to the cluster based in Melbourne’s south-east.

 

[Port Power]

Canberra really has closed its borders to NSW affected areas. They had found people were just ignoring the request not to travel to the ACT and around 80 people per day were travelling from affected regions. They have now established a police check point and are checking cars and turning back anyone without an exemption.

This is what I just cannot understand. Don’t (some) people care about others? Why would they do that?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Sadly all the genomic linking will do is further stoke the ridiculous state based rivalries.

I disagree as the linking is important information. Though yes unfortunately I think some may be looking at the wrong way. We need to eliminate the virus everywhere in Australia

The genomic linking is important not at all for any state rivalry which is just stupid, but because:

• Resources are not now wasted seeking it from sources that are irrelevant.
  • ie HQ or aircrew leakages
  • A link back to second wave strains
  • Ports or other possible sources
• Thus greater focus can be placed on finding the actual index cases and hopefully any other as yet unknown transmission chains
• It may end up helping NSW track transmission chains too index case as it must have been someone that travelled from NSW to Vic (irrespective of where they live)f it helps find the
• It confirms that it is not the more contagious UK or South African Strains which if it was may have induced a higher level of control measures being deployed
• If it had of been a new international leakage then we would know that some improvement to HQ or air or sea crews may still be needed.

 

[jakeseven7]

I wonder what the next move is until the vaccination is rolled out?

What, everyone keep NSW locked out until then as a preventative action? Just because they are on a different strategy to everyone else?

Or do we just keep on opening and shutting borders like whack a mole?

 

[33kft]

What, everyone keep NSW locked out until then as a preventative action? Just because they are on a different strategy to everyone else?

Does anyone get a choice? If you don't keep NSW locked out, you get locked out. In the middle of the holiday season. It's all about choosing the hill you are prepared to die on at this point.