Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Must...Fly!]

As far as I can see, no State made contingency plans for this, even though it was an obvious risk. Sole plan seems to be to slam borders shut and stick head under doona.

I sympathise with the detail in your post but particularly this statement too. I emailed a local Senator this morning outlining my frustration with border closures. I don't know what, if any, good it may do but perhaps this is a way to make your voice heard at least.

 

[Pushka]

But what is the economic cost of mass testing, on a regular basis? It's already taking 2-5 hours to get tested as it is, with people coming from or having visited hotspots. Plus isolation following the test. That's a huge economic impact, and the test results may not be indicative anyway given the incubation period

If the vaccination is proving safe and effective worldwide (and from a reactions consideration, the numbers are climbing very much now, and into second round), then it seems that avoiding the crisis rather than waiting for it to happen, given that áll other vaccinations are done to prevent, then I'd hope those discussions are being had right now.

 

[nutwood]

We are full steam ahead (thankfully) just bypassing Sydney for the moment and focussing heavily on VIC and QLD and using creative ways to get our people into WA . We’ve also been taking up a lot of seats into Tassie as they were backlogged being cut off for so long.

We are however wary that the NSW government seems to be signalling about a lockdown in inner / west Sydney though.... (we have some facilities there).

Given how porous those suburbs are compared to NB I’m not sure it’s such a brilliant idea....

Sounds encouraging. I'm guessing you're Qld based? Must be a relief to be able to operate again!

I've no issue with lock-downs in specific areas. We're still in the middle of a pandemic and lock-downs go with the territory. We've work in Sydney but I'm happy to ignore that for the moment. Everyone understands it's a changing situation.
It's harder with jobs in western NSW. Hundreds of km's from any known outbreak and we're cancelling work because people can't get there from Melbourne for fear of not being able to return into Victoria. Possibly they'll be able to get permits but it's all up in the air.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

But what is the economic cost of mass testing, on a regular basis? It's already taking 2-5 hours to get tested as it is, with people coming from or having visited hotspots. Plus isolation following the test. That's a huge economic impact, and the test results may not be indicative anyway given the incubation period

It is not just the cost which would be vast, but that regular testing of most often would be a huge time cost.
Plus that would be a huge diversion of healthcare staff and testing resources away from other health issues. I would even doubt we would have enough such staff and laboratories we definitely do not have enough of anyway.

So it is a huge no for me for all of the above reasons.


Yes regular surveillance testing of those that are in contact with CV19 positive or probable people, or where there is high risk.

So yes all quarantine related workers including transport.

Some healthcare workers. Probably more where the risk is higher. So if an outbreak is active you test more.

Some work settings.

But mass testing for all = no.

 

[dajop]

Absolutely. And is only made possible, really, by the Federal assistance measures. Hopefully when they begin to expire, reality will start to set in...

I’m beginning to think the border closures are very much about the economy within each state. If you look at how badly Melbourne economy suffered during the long lockdown, you can understand why Premiers are trigger happy with borders, sacrificing the economic benefits of cross border movement for the sake of preserving locally focussed retail and hospitality and other types of businesses severely impacted by lockdowns or even without lockdowns the “stay away” mentality engendered by clusters.

With Victoria, the supposedly much improved contact tracing and ring fencing of cases is only undergoing its first real pressure test. When it was last called upon, the lockdown measures were very much still in place, at least in Metro Melbourne.

I’ve said it before, really need alignment on how individual hotspots are managed and to prevent movement out of the hotspot and then the enforced boundary is the hotspot not the entire state. Furthermore, capital city to capital city movement seems to be the biggest risk not capital city to country (even at the height of the Vic second wave the regional clusters seemed to be shutdown relatively quickly - even in Geelong, with 250,000 population).

But we’re all just armchair commentators. One things for certain I’m glad I’m not in state government - damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Meanwhile the most of rest of the world is merrily getting along with more open borders much higher infection rates - but not necessarily any better economic performance.

 

[Must...Fly!]

There is no doubt WA has the local economy in mind. The border is more about economic protectionism than anything else. The state has little to no responsibility for the industries hit hardest by closures, so they don't care.

 

[nutwood]

I sympathise with the detail in your post but particularly this statement too. I emailed a local Senator this morning outlining my frustration with border closures. I don't know what, if any, good it may do but perhaps this is a way to make your voice heard at least.

Fully agree. I am also pursuing the political angle.
I probably sound like a broken record, but we need a National plan that satisfies the "elimination" States. Who can blame WA for shutting their border when they see how quickly Sydney has gone pear shaped? I understand the NSW strategy but from outside, it looks as though they were far too casual about locking down the NB outbreak.

 

[sinophile888]

But we’re all just armchair commentators. One things for certain I’m glad I’m not in state government - damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Meanwhile the most of rest of the world is merrily getting along with more open borders much higher infection rates - but not necessarily any better economic performance.

I agree.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I’ve said it before, really need alignment on how individual hotspots are managed and to prevent movement out of the hotspot and then the enforced boundary is the hotspot not the entire state. .

Yes pressure test indeed, and a major one at that as being the Christmas period it meant/means an enforced boundary is not at all possible within Victoria as by the the first positive test came back that people and close contacts from the Smile Buffalo had already mixed far and wide as the Christmas/NYE period is a period of:

• Great Mixing
• Great travel as a huge proportion of the population is on holiday. ie Some even made it to Eden Valley Council in NSW before that test result and first contact tracing interview was complete.

Then being Christmas/NYE means that testing staff and lab staff are off on leave too (remember zero cases for two months)

The timing could not have been worse. So as a test it is a massive one

Which is why some controls came back so swiftly as the mixing was already done.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I’ve said it before, really need alignment on how individual hotspots are managed and to prevent movement out of the hotspot and then the enforced boundary is the hotspot not the entire state.

The health minister (federal, Hunt) said yesterday the nationally agreed definition is there for those who want to use it.

They are clearly fed up too.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I sympathise with the detail in your post but particularly this statement too. I emailed a local Senator this morning outlining my frustration with border closures. I don't know what, if any, good it may do but perhaps this is a way to make your voice heard at least.

That's a good question. Other than a constitutional change, I didn't see the Feds having carved out much of a role for themselves, or been able to exert much influence?

 

[I love to travel]

That's a good question. Other than a constitutional change, I didn't see the Feds having carved out much of a role for themselves, or been able to exert much influence?

Although their influence in closing international borders is huge!!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

PS: and a pressure test not just of not just what the Vic Gov, DHHS and all parts of the control system does, but also very much what we as individuals do.

I know that when I awoke on Dec 28th and realised that my throat is sore, that I also thought do I really a have to get tested, no cases for two months....

But I did and certainly I am most glad I did and as it turns out the virus was back active from at least Dec 21 and from I can tell at least 2 of that initial 13 live somewhere within a few km of me, and a number of the exposures sites I have at some time been to (though not after Dec 21).

 

[Must...Fly!]

That's a good question. Other than a constitutional change, I didn't see the Feds having carved out much of a role for themselves, or been able to exert much influence?

They could, and they tried with the early backing of Palmer at the High Court. But they soon realised that it would cost them votes, so understandable backed away.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Although their influence in closing international borders is huge!!

That is true! We've had months to set up a mass quarantine station in the NT or wherever else to bring Aussies home. Sadly that wasn't possible for many this Christmas

Post automatically merged: Jan 4, 2021

They could, and they tried with the early backing of Palmer at the High Court. But they soon realised that it would cost them votes, so understandable backed away.

I would suggest they pulled out because they were almost certain they would lose.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Testing wait times currently vary from 10 to 280 minutes in Victoria. Some locations such as Frankston showing 0 minutes.

Health.vic

At the Department of Health, we're focused on supporting Victorians to be as healthy as they can by delivering a world-class health system that focuses on improving patient outcomes and experiences.

www.dhhs.vic.gov.au

None are yet showing that they have reached capacity (as in queues being closed to new arrivals):

 

[nutwood]

They could, and they tried with the early backing of Palmer at the High Court. But they soon realised that it would cost them votes, so understandable backed away.

The Federal Government certainly could create itself a role. Not by challenging what the States are doing but by augmenting it. Might not be universally popular but good leadership seldom is.

 

[jase05]

Reportedly a wedding venue in Fairfield NSW fined for exceeding the 100 number limit - over 600 present.
Fine of $5k probably should have been more
Hazzard huffing and puffing, not happy.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well the Australian flu data has not been published in this thread for a while.

Case numbers (so actual flu will be higher as not all get tested) per month are show in table and graph below.

2020 was a year when the flu season basically just did not happen in any significant way. As soon as the pandemic took off and people reacted to it with various measures confirmed cases soon dropped to very low levels and stayed there.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

NSW Presser: ZERO new local cases.

But 2 cases after 8PM that will be in tomorrows official numbers.

7 international.

So overall quite good news.

NSW Gov believe that too few people are presenting for testing though. 22,275 tests yesterday.