Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[dajop]

NSW test HQ workers every shift, but realise unless you lock HQ workers in permanent ISO they are going to be in community. So PPE, training in procedures, surveillance and testing every shift are the controls.

Floor monitoring guards in NSW quarantine hotels do not always (in fact IME rarely) wear masks or other types of PPE whilst undertaking floor monitoring activities.

The guards sat outside my room, and when I retrieved my meals I noticed it was rare for them to actually be wearing a mask (I did just for the few seconds I had the door open ... a bit irrational but why not?). Some did have surgical masks on and many wore surgical masks over their chins (presumably in case of inspections), no N95 masks though. I bet the same in other states too.

 

[RooFlyer]

A bit on the WA situation:

West Australian officials took more than 11 hours to inform the commonwealth and other states that it had detected community COVID-19 transmission, a possible breach of pandemic protocols.

The Australian has confirmed that despite confirming a positive test result at 3am AEDT (midnight on Saturday, Perth time), WA health officials told an Australian Health Protection Principal Committee meeting on Sunday morning that the state had not recorded any community infections.

The length of time taken to disclose the transmission is a sign of further strain on WA’s public health system, with the failure to introduce safety protocols already in place in other jurisdictions allowing an infectious quarantine security guard to wander the streets of Perth for up to five days.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd was informed about the infection at 2.30pm AEDT (11.30am Perth time), hours after he had announced it had been “two weeks since we had a case of COVID-19 in our community”.

 

[Lynda2475]

Floor monitoring guards in NSW quarantine hotels do not always (in fact IME rarely) wear masks or other types of PPE whilst undertaking floor monitoring activities.

This is why Ive been banging on about PPE for months. Give transport drivers, security, cleaners etc in HQ proper N95 masks and eye protection, its much cheaper than having to put parts of the country into lock-down.

No excuse when we can manufacture those items here - the N95 masks I ordered came from a factory in South West Sydney.

 

[mannej]

As noted in the Hyatt thread, the Hyatt is used for quarantine purposes, but also takes regular guests.

Pan Pacific was being used for HQ and external functions as well

 

[bcworld]

I know in the very early days Swissotel in Sydney had HQ guests and regular tourists, on different floors using different lifts, but I was of the understanding that pratice had stopped by start of May

Couldn't have been May. It was in September when a quarantining ADF member was caught with a non-quarantining guest from the same hotel in his room.

ADF member and female visitor fined $1,000 for breaching hotel quarantine rules

A serving member of the ADF and a woman are fined for breaching COVID-19 orders at a Sydney quarantine hotel as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she is "concerned" about the state's low testing numbers.

www.abc.net.au

 

[jakeseven7]

WA decides against ‘third ring’ tracing utilised by Victoria and South Australia​

WA’s contact tracers have so far identified 66 close contacts of the hotel security guard who tested positive to COVID-19 on Sunday.

However it appears WA authorities have chosen not to adopt the ‘third ring’ contact tracing strategy used by Victoria and recently Adelaide during its successful management of a hotel quarantine outbreak in November.

Dr Robertson and Premier Mark McGowan had previously commended the strategy. “They took it incredibly seriously and they dealt with it and it looks like their measures worked,” Mr McGowan said in December.

It is unclear why WA has decided not to utlise this approach, leading some medical commentators to speculate that WA's contact tracers are not ready for such an undertaking.

As it happened: WA records no new local COVID-19 cases as lockdown enters second day; scientists fear COVID-19 variants may be ‘taking the edge off’ vaccines

AstraZeneca says it is awaiting fresh data on its vaccine’s ability to combat a new COVID-19 variant after clinical trials for rival inoculations showed reduced effectiveness against the emerging South African strain.

www.watoday.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

Couldn't have been May. It was in September when a quarantining ADF member was caught with a non-quarantining guest from the same hotel in his room.

At the Swissotel? I walked past there last Friday and no guards etc visible like when it was being used for HQ in early days.

 

[bcworld]

At the Swissotel? I walked past there last Friday and no guards etc visible like when it was being used for HQ in early days.

I don't think it was the Swissotel...but I thought you meant NSW had changed protocols so that this would not be the case.

 

[Lynda2475]

ABC reports:

South Australia to partially relax hard border with Western Australia​

SA will change its hard border restrictions to allow West Australians who have not been in designated coronavirus hotspots to enter the state.

Anyone outside of the greater Perth area will be allowed to enter SA, provided they take COVID tests on days one, five and 12 after their arrival, and self-isolate until they return their first negative result.

Anyone who has been in the Perth area since January 26 won't be able to go to SA (but if you've only transited through Perth Airport, that's okay).

WA arrivals already in SA will be allowed to leave quarantine immediately as long as they haven't been in the Perth lockdown zone since that date.

 

[jase05]

From 12:01am Feb 13th all of NSW are free to come to SA with no restrictions

 

[OATEK]

From 12:01am Feb 13th all of NSW are free to come to SA with no restrictions

No thanks.

When does WA presser usually occur?

 

[Lynda2475]

11am in WA and no sign of a presser yet, delay probably means news isnt great.

** ABC says its at 11:30am - so 2:30pm for those of us on the east that have daylight savings

 

[Pushka]

No thanks.

Well, it's good for SA people as we can travel to NSW and come back again

 

[Lynda2475]

WA presser delayed yet again now expected at 3pm Sydney time (so midday WA time).

Notice they have already pre-released a statement that:

The WA Government has announced a program to ensure security guards are financially secure, following concerns a hotel guard who contracted COVID-19 was also a driver for a rideshare company.

Health Minister Roger Cook told ABC Radio Perth the new financial arrangements will be in place next week.

"All our COVID arrangements are guided by experts in public health and infection control officials," he said.

 

[VPS]

Well, it's good for SA people as we can travel to NSW and come back again

For this week until the cough hits the fan again somewhere

 

[Pushka]

For this week until the cough hits the fan again somewhere

Yup. I think this closure stuff is the reason why Morrison is discontinuing JK as right now state Govts are abusing it.

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH Reports:

The head of the State Health Incident Coordination Centre — responsible for overseeing hotel quarantine in Western Australia — has defended the timeline of releasing the latest COVID-19 test results to the public.

Dr Robin Lawrence told 6PR Mornings host Liam Bartlett the numbers were made available to her department by 8am, but wouldn’t be released to the public until Premier Mark McGowan took to the podium at a press briefing at Dumas House later in the morning.

Dr Lawrence baulked at revealing the numbers ahead of the scheduled press conference with the Premier, saying she was “not at liberty” to provide that information.

“I need to tell the Premier so he is well aware,” she replied to repeated questions by Bartlett, who accused Mr McGowan of “grandstanding”.

“If there was something to tell the public that was critically important, the Premier would make that announcement as soon as he was able to do so,” she said.

“The outcome of today is not going to impact the lockdown.”

 

[OZDUCK]

No new cases in WA overnight- local or overseas. 16,400 tested yesterday. 104 'close contacts' tested with all returning negative results so far.

The security guard had delivered medication to the hotel door of someone with the virus. The hotel involved will not receive any more travelers until further notice.

 

[MooTime]

Well I was shocked at the ZERO ann.

Just called my friend to check & ask WTF & they are certain without doubt that they directly know of family friend who has tested positive in Perth.

They also have heard from others that there are others who have tested positive, but that's just talk & unconfirmed so I disregard that info.

hmm, not sure what to think now, shirley not a coverup er hide certain facts, too much to lose.

 

[OZDUCK]

Well I was shocked at the ZERO ann.

Just called my friend to check & ask WTF & they are certain without doubt that they directly know of family friend who has tested positive in Perth.

They also have heard from others that there are others who have tested positive, but that's just talk & unconfirmed so I disregard that info.

hmm, not sure what to think now, shirley not a coverup er hide certain facts, too much to lose.

There was a 'historical' case uncovered a day or so back. Caught it o/s last year and not infective - perhaps?