Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[OATEK]

Like I said, if you havent lived it you cant possibly understand that there are a lot of people very nervous about having this year go the south. Just because you arent hearing about it doesnt meant they arent out there; another forum I'm on is littered with people who are desperate to make sure their kids actually get to go to school this year. Heck, I'm desperate to make sure there arent any restrictions when I give birth soon, because five days alone in hospital with a newborn would suck.

I dont think NSW has been that safe, given the number of mystery cases at the moment.

You are absolutely correct, to have been in a major lockdown gives a different perspective, as my daughter and family constantly tell me (from South London). They have had a thousand deaths a day at times, with most friends/neighbours having had the virus. My son-in-law had it while in the US in January, and probably brought it home to London so the family is still living on their immunity.

And therein lies much of the difficulty now, leading to totally different reactions. In Sydney most people I talk to generally feel safe, even friends/former work colleagues who live in and around Ashfield/Croydon. They are cautious but not afraid because they have seen successful Covid suppression without the sort of outbreak in Vic.

But relations in WA and QLD/Nth NSW border area feel afraid. In one case relations down for Christmas disappeared overnight when the NB cluster was identified, ringing from the car on the way home to say they wouldn't be attending Christmas brunch with their grandkids.

And relations in Melbourne are definitely fearful of another breakout and one nephew has major mental health issues having been isolated from his family for a long period.

My view is that until vaccine roll-out gets a head of steam up there will be over-reaction, sudden border closures and all the rest that goes with a sudden outbreak.

 

[Lynda2475]

And therein lies much of the difficulty now, leading to totally different reactions. In Sydney most people I talk to generally feel safe, even friends/former work colleagues who live in and around Ashfield/Croydon. They are cautious but not afraid because they have seen successful Covid suppression without the sort of outbreak in Vic.

Quite rightly so - nothing to panic about in inner western Sydney. The Croydon cluster was quickest one to contain since July. First case 29th Dec and last case 8th Jan (under 2 weeks), all cases confined to one large family who met at 3 different homes. The transmissions occurred in household context which we know is the highest risk place. Very few public exposure sites (only one in inner west which was Bunnings Ashfield and no further cases spread from that Bunnings visit). Inner West also has excellent mask usage and excellent test rates.

I could understand some fear in lockdown in NB (although most took it in their stride) and in Western Sydney now as whilst coughberland has good test rates, its neighbours of Cantebury-Bankstowns and Paramatta do not and mask usage is lower in Western Sydney. Even then, daily numbers low and not high enough to meet hotspot classification.

Sydney is doing fine, 3 people in hopsital (all overseas arrivals), no one in intensive care, excellent QR usage.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The local government areas (LGAs) of Blacktown, Canada Bay, Burwood, Canterbury-Bankstown, coughberland, Fairfield, Inner West, Liverpool, Paramatta and Strathfield will remain classed as red zones.

They would all seem to be abutting LGAs and close to Berala and many of the current exposure sites geographically. Northern Beaches is not. Woollahara is also not -are they Berala Cluster cases?

My guess is that they have sought a buffer around the exposure sites linked to the Berala Cluster as people mix, work and travel beyond the LGA that they live in.

And today...



So it seems that the CHO's are not merely throwing darts at a map of Sydney to select LGA's, but are applying logic to their decisions.

We may disagree as to those decisions of course, but they also have access to more facts than we do. Plus often you will have people who will form different views on what can or should be done. ie Mask wearing.

 

[jakeseven7]

View attachment 238442

Everyone is reading each others homework clearly!

I still think TAS and WA have taken it too far though. Needs to be dialled back.

 

[jakeseven7]

Still no movement from SA on NSW unfortunately either as the SA/NSW border clock was reset due to more local cases in NSW on the weekend.

----

South Australia maintains its border restrictions with NSW​

No changes have been made to South Australia's border restrictions which are currently in place for people who have visited Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast of NSW.

The transition committee met this morning to discuss the situation in New South Wales, which has recorded zero new locally acquired cases in the past 24 hours.

Quarantine requirements had already been lifted for travellers from regional New South Wales, but restrictions remain in place for those in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens says there needs to be two weeks of no community transmissions for border restrictions to be lifted with New South Wales.

"The 14 day period is the key for us, but obviously the clock restarted on the weekend when these new clusters were identified, so SA Health is working with NSW Health to get as much information as possible so we can make our changes as early as possible."

PM says Government will 'see how things play out' with international borders

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Government will make a decision about international borders in line with advice from experts following comments from Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy that they would be shut for most of this year.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Lynda2475]

The problem is the buffer as admitted by Andrews is being drawn around 2 clusters, one of which is no longer active.

If you take the inactive Croydon cluster out of the mix, then it shoud only be coughberland and bordering LGAs - Blackton, Paramatta, Fairfield, Cantebury-Bankstown and Strathfield. Canada Bay, Inner West, Burwood and Liverpool should not be Red.

Although I still think that is unfair, if bordering was really that high risk, Fairfield would have had recent cases.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Everyone is reading each others homework clearly!

I still think TAS and WA have taken it too far though. Needs to be dialled back.

Or more likely that the HO's do as they have stated discuss and exchange cases and other information like wastewater results regularly, if not daily.

But then form their own opinions on what is required which can and does vary.

 

[drron]

Everyone is reading each others homework clearly!

I still think TAS and WA have taken it too far though. Needs to be dialled back.

Tasmania has no declared red zones or hotspots in Sydney.They are medium risk but you will need to quarantine.
The other states and territories have declared hot spots to which there is a hard border.So at present Tasmania is actually second best.
WA takes the wooden spoon whilst QLD and SA are runners up for the wooden spoon with hard borders to 35 Greater Sydney LGAs.

 

[Lynda2475]

In NSW sewerage testing is fully discolosed int eh weekly report, and any time it detects virus in areas without known cases the Dr Chant inlcudes it in her daily media briefing. The latest call outs for extra testign due to the waste water were for Western Sydney.

If waste water testing was a major contributor to determining the red zones, then Northern Beaches would still be red as they have had covid traces in sewage and mystery cases in last fortnight.

 

[RAM]

Exactly.

The two guys are running a business and naturally want to make more money.

However if they use up some of the cap then others cannot.

You mean a bit like Q who is not flying otherwise?

The Fed Govt should operate this transparently & put the repatriation flights out to tender. Q is still using JobKeeper to pay as many of its staff as possible on domestic operations not just stood down staff.

As with Q the $$ is paying for an empty one-way flight, full Q cost coverage (including allocation of 'overheads') etc etc - Australian taxpayers would save at least 50% of the Q costs & for those 'environmentally concerned' would cut 100% of the emissions created by duplicating the flights.

Equally it would cut risk of Q staff contracting CV (as one of the Q Darwin repatriation aircrew did a few weeks back).

However it might adversely impact on the future of the Chairman's Club.

 

[RAM]

Sorry to hear the mask compliance is low in Sydney, I was making a point, was not trying to guess the exact level of mask wearing in Sydney! Clearly wishful thinking

The last time I was in Sydney (just prior to the NB outbreak) I saw almost zero mask wearing - but it was before the outbreak and I didn't catch PT. No one was wearing them in supermarkets in inner east or west Sydney (where you say the most issues are - that is where our warehouse is).... but again it was prior to the outbreak so people didn't see the need I guess.

Prior to the 'mandatory' masks requirement our weekly shopping expedition in the Eastern Suburbs saw a regular weekly decline through the December quarter. The last time at the shopping centre - the two of us & one other shopper were the only mask wearers pre announcement of masks becoming mandatory - with several thousand shoppers in the centre. Social distancing - what's that other than an opportunity for someone to try and jump a queue at one of the small shop counters.

What I still cannot understand given the evidence (& discussion of at one of the first National Cabinets) of CV infection via eye contact - why it has never been suggested that people wear eye covering (does not have to be masks due to turbulence effect of glasses)? After detailed evidence came out of Italy & Germany last February where one eagle eyed-German doctor working in Italy realised that close to 95% of perfect sighted colleagues in non-CV facing hospital areas were being infected whilst less than 10% of those who wore glasses did. Contacted a long time friend (senior Dr back in Germany) to collect data across a number of hospital there & found similar outcomes.

Just like due to mask shortages the intial 'advice' was no need for the public to wear masks. The lack of mask/clear glasses supply in the Federal Stockpile was the reason that no advice was given.

However, that is no longer an issue. So surely it is time to recommend (publicise widely) eye coverings such as safety glasses etc?

 

[Lynda2475]

So surely it is time to recommend eye coverings such as safety glasses etc?

Ive worn sunglasses almost everytime ive ventuired out even if it wasnt sunny, easy way to prevent errant droplets getting in your eyes, or touching your eyes after touching a surface.

I prefer sunnies over reading glasses, as they wrap around and provide more coverage.

A friend of mine facebook post as he boraded a flight this morning (brag shot from his J seat) showed an N95 mask, glasses and a face shield - taking no chances.

 

[love_the_life]

Like I said, if you havent lived it you cant possibly understand that there are a lot of people very nervous about having this year go the south. Just because you arent hearing about it doesnt meant they arent out there; another forum I'm on is littered with people who are desperate to make sure their kids actually get to go to school this year. Heck, I'm desperate to make sure there arent any restrictions when I give birth soon, because five days alone in hospital with a newborn would suck.

I dont think NSW has been that safe, given the number of mystery cases at the moment.

Fingers crossed for you BC (and TV) - hopefully things will be fine and the restrictions won't affect your family and news bub.

 

[RAM]

I have no problem if businesses and workplaces want to introduce a proof of vaccine rule in order to be a customer there or work there, I plan to get vaccinated.

But implementation (of the no jab no entry rule) needs to be delayed until the vaccine is actually available to everyone, as with the current priority list, healthy adults under 65 will be waiting several months yet.

Gladys was talking about a digital certificate to be linked to your service NSW account (like linking a license) which I am ok with, because i dont particpate in the myhealth or whatever it was called scheme (i opted out,as there was questionable security).

Actually as it happens the Fed Govt myHealth has not had any (publicised) security breaches that I've come across - neither minor nor major.

Service NSW on the other hand had over 700 GB of personal data hacked over some months. Over 186,000 peoples' complete records everything from Driver's Licence through and may have stolen people's birth certificates, credit card details, medical records, financial information and even sensitive legal enforcement information, - every document on file.

Enough ID detail to open bank accounts, credit cards etc. Just hope that all financial institutions have instituted some countermeasures. One case of ID theft I know of saw CC opened with 5 stolen mail items from a locked letterbox. NAB battled the man for months to prove he was not involved with the $10,000+ outstanding balance.

Service NSW is still mailing by registered post to notify people that their detailed information was hacked starting from last April.

Service NSW reveals hackers stole 738GB of data in email ...​

www.itnews.com.au › news › service-nsw-reveals-hack...


Sep 7, 2020 — Service NSW has revealed that hackers behind an email compromise attack against 47 staff members earlier this year stole 738GB of data, encompassing 3.8 million documents.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Today's Vic DHHS Media Release
19 January 2021

Salient parts

Victoria has recorded four new cases of coronavirus since yesterday, three of which are related to the Australian Open tennis tournament. That takes the total cases associated with the tournament to seven. Two cases were reclassified due to evidence of previous infection.

The new cases are one female in their 20s and two males in their 30s, all associated with the Australian Open, and one female aged in their 30s who is a returned traveller.

The reclassified cases are one male in their 30s and one male in their 50s. Further investigations are ongoing to determine any other cases of prior infection which can be safely reclassified.

The new positive cases linked to the Australian Open involve two players and one non-playing participant.

While two cases of viral shedding were confirmed yesterday, this does not change broader assessment of the player group in hotel quarantine. As yet, none of the three affected flights have been cleared as a result of the two reclassified cases.

For the thirteenth consecutive day, Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus.

The number of active cases in Victoria is now 34, made up of three locally acquired cases, which is a decrease of one since yesterday, and 31 cases in travellers in hotel quarantine, an increase of two since yesterday.

......

Since the portal went live, 216,074 permits have been issued up to midday today. In the past 24 hours, 25,956 applications have been processed – an average of 18 permits issued each minute.

Applications can be made through the Service Victoria portal.

The department continues to work through applications for exemption applications for entry into Victoria – each application is considered to ensure that a person who is prohibited from travelling into Victoria from a Red Zone only travels when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Under Victoria’s restrictions, exemptions for care and compassionate reasons must be prioritised. This means that since the start of the Victorian-NSW border restrictions, a total of 2,633 exemptions have been granted and just four applications have been rejected. Approved exemption applications mostly relate to Victorians returning for compassionate reasons as well as inter-state residents travelling into Victoria for funerals or to be with a loved one at end of life.



Full report at Department of Health and Human Services Victoria | Coronavirus update for Victoria - 19 January 2021

 

[Lynda2475]

Service NSW on the other hand had over 700 GB of personal data hacked over some months.

Well if they hack my Service NSw account all they will find out is which venues i have checked into.

My account isnt linked to any identity informaion, I dont have drivers license issued by them, there is no photo on file and i didnt need to prove my identity to create an account (so they dont have my birth certificate, passport, medicare details etc). I just provided a mobile number and email address - so not enough to create a bank account, just enough to contact me if im exposed to Covid.

I dont have any snail mail delivered to my home (because letetr boxes arent secure), I have a PO box for the small amount of snail mail that I get.

 

[RooFlyer]

I think everyone needs a laugh:

Meanwhile in Australia *PART 10* 🤪 | This is what the news is right now!! The States are holding Press Conferences … try and keep up … I’m not actually sure where I can and can’t go so imma... | By Jimmy Rees | Facebook

This is what the news is right now!! The States are holding Press Conferences … try and keep up … I’m not actually sure where I can and can’t go so imma...

fb.watch

Great, thanks! The Victorian guy sounded familiar!

 

[dajop]

You mean a bit like Q who is not flying otherwise?

The Fed Govt should operate this transparently & put the repatriation flights out to tender. Q is still using JobKeeper to pay as many of its staff as possible on domestic operations not just stood down staff.

As with Q the $$ is paying for an empty one-way flight, full Q cost coverage (including allocation of 'overheads') etc etc - Australian taxpayers would save at least 50% of the Q costs & for those 'environmentally concerned' would cut 100% of the emissions created by duplicating the flights.

I am sure, with a bit of will and some negotiation QR, SQ, CX, and/or MH could be persuaded to run one of the scheduled services into the east coast via DRW to drop off the "repatriation" passengers that they also fly from point of origin to their hub. (eg. xx_-DOH-DRW-MEL). Minimal cost to the passengers and AU government.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am sure, with a bit of will and some negotiation QR, SQ, CX, and/or MH could be persuaded to run one of the scheduled services into the east coast via DRW to drop off the "repatriation" passengers that they also fly from point of origin to their hub. (eg. xx_-DOH-DRW-MEL). Minimal cost to the passengers and AU government.

Alternatively just fly a VA/QF/Rex charter from the international point of arrival to DRW.