Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[jakeseven7]

Over 500 Australian Open players and staff have now tested negative in VIC rapid response​

They had been forced into isolation after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for coronavirus.

Six warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open were halted yesterday to allow 160 players to get tested.

The draw for the Grand Slam event will be held this afternoon now that the players have been cleared to leave isolation.

Tennis Australia says it's confident of completing lead-in events by Sunday.

Herd immunity may need us to vaccinate children, Brendan Murphy says

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy tells a parliamentary committee that if herd immunity against COVID-19 is possible, we may need to vaccinate children, who are not currently included in the vaccine roadmap as "if recommended".

www.abc.net.au

 

[jakeseven7]

Victoria eases border restrictions with WA​

Victoria's Chief Health Officer has declared the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of Western Australia will move from a red zone to an orange zone under Victoria's traffic light travel permit system.

The change will come into effect at 9:00pm Victorian time today.

People in orange zones can apply for a permit to enter Victoria provided they have not been in close contact with a coronavirus case and do not have any symptoms. Once in Victoria you must immediately self-isolate, get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours and continue to self-quarantine until you get a negative test result.

Herd immunity may need us to vaccinate children, Brendan Murphy says

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy tells a parliamentary committee that if herd immunity against COVID-19 is possible, we may need to vaccinate children, who are not currently included in the vaccine roadmap as "if recommended".

www.abc.net.au

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH.com.au reports:

‘Surface exposed to the virus’ blamed for Brisbane hotel quarantine cluster

Gaps in infection control have been blamed for the spread of a highly infectious strain of coronavirus through a Brisbane quarantine hotel, triggering a national health emergency and the city’s three-day lockdown.

Findings from a joint police and health investigation into a cluster of cases at Brisbane’s Hotel Grand Chancellor were “unable to determine the exact root cause of transmission” but it was most likely picked up from “a surface exposed to the virus”.

The report made seven recommendations to overhaul protocols in quarantine facilities, including installing CCTV cameras to capture movements in and out of guests’ rooms and improved cleaning procedures.

Guests will be required to don masks when they open their doors to collect food and linen left outside and all door seals will be checked to “minimise under doors airflows”.

The report also recommends “ensuring air extraction and ventilation in corridors”.

“Whilst there are no specific findings of airborne transmission, airflow has been considered and forms part of good practice worldwide in minimising risk of transmission,” the report read.

“It is considered the cluster is most likely a result of multiple gaps in infection prevention and control.”

The report ruled out airconditioning and deliberate quarantine breaches as sources of the outbreak.

‘Surface exposed to the virus’ blamed for Brisbane hotel quarantine cluster

Gaps in infection control have been blamed for the spread of a highly infectious strain of coronavirus through a Brisbane quarantine hotel, triggering a national health emergency and the city’s three-day lockdown.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

ABC News Covid blog reports:

WA's returning travellers cap to remain at 512 per week ​

That cap was due to end on February 15. But the Premier has asked the Prime Minister to extend it until the end of February.

WA can never just align with the rest of the country. McGowan sounded a bit put out because ScoMo wouldnt give him more ADF staff for HQ.

 

[jakeseven7]

ABC News Covid blog reports:

WA's returning travellers cap to remain at 512 per week ​

That cap was due to end on February 15. But the Premier has asked the Prime Minister to extend it until the end of February.

WA can never just align with the rest of the country. McGowan sounded a bit put pout because ScoMo wouldnt geive him more ADF staff for HQ.

He probably needs time to knit some masks for his HQ guards now that they are compulsory in WA to wear in HQ

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Just had my first Queensland Covid 19 test.

No queue, and only about 2 other people being tested when we where there. 20 minutes all up. Tested at about 1pm. SMS on negative test back at 7.42PM.

We were 1.5 hrs from a testing station station yesterday and as Qld Health (I rang to clarify) only have testing and then isolating as a voluntary act we decided to wait a day to avoid the 3 hr return derive.

We ordered room service last night to do the right thing. Rang this morning to do the right thing to request bill to be delivered to our room to avoid face to face, but it was a case of what restrictions! They new nothing about it. (We arrived on 31 Jan, and Qld Health at that time wanted every Vic in Qld who had arrived in Qld from 29 Jan to get test, but was not mandatory).

 

[jakeseven7]

Just had my first Queensland Covid 19 test.

No queue, and only about 2 other people being tested when we where there. 20 minutes all up. Tested at about 1pm. SMS on negative test back at 7.42PM.

We were 1.5 hrs from a testing station station yesterday and as Qld Health (I rang to clarify) only have testing and then isolating as a voluntary act we decided to wait a day to avoid the 3 hr return derive.

We ordered room service last night to do the right thing. Rang this morning to do the right thing to request bill to be delivered to our room to avoid face to face, but it was a case of what restrictions! They new nothing about it. (We arrived on 31 Han, and Qld Health at that time wanted every Vic in Qld who had arrived in Qld from 29 Jan to get test, but was not mandatory).

Welcome to Queensland

But trust me we had nothing on Perth.... I swear some people didn’t even know what covid was there! (well pre the massive outbreak that led to the massive lock down due to the highly contagious mutant virus that spread no where).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

VicGovDH

@VicGovDH
·
3h

All of the 17 household and social primary close contacts linked to the Grand Hyatt COVID-19 case have tested negative. It's an encouraging sign, but there's more work to do.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[kpc]

Why does the saying "the boy who cried wolf" keep replaying in my head?!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Qld 0 new local cases, 1 from overseas. Currently 5 active cases

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Repatriation flight from India, due to land in Darwin today

 

[Flying mermaid]

Repatriation flight from India, due to land in Darwin today

And one in ACT ain Monday

 

[jakeseven7]

Why does the saying "the boy who cried wolf" keep replaying in my head?!

At least VIC didn’t go into a ridiculous lockdown like WA and QLD (and some argue SA too)...

 

[Pushka]

At least VIC didn’t go into a ridiculous lockdown like WA and QLD (and some argue SA too)...

Well we did back in October on the basis that we had the UK strain here and it had escaped. Guy lied. It wasn't.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

NSW 0 new local cases, 2 from overseas

 

[jase05]

Well we did back in October on the basis that we had the UK strain here and it had escaped. Guy lied. It wasn't.

We also had 25 cases at the time

 

[Pushka]

We also had 25 cases at the time

And all traced I believe and 15 in the one family and as personal contacts had been in isolation before testing positive. I have no problems with a lockdown, just the severity of it. Although I understand a couple of contacts didn't follow protocols and went to school. Thankfully it was reduced after two days.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well we did back in October on the basis that we had the UK strain here and it had escaped. Guy lied. It wasn't.

The new Melbourne Case also has the more transmissive UK Strain.

Genomic sequencing has confirmed the hotel quarantine staff member who contracted COVID-19 has the more infectious UK strain of the virus, Victoria's Chief Health Officer says.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said a laboratory had identified the worker as having the B117 variant of COVID-19, which is "the more transmissible variant of concern".

Professor Sutton said work was still being done to determine which of the six positive cases at the Grand Hyatt was the source of the infection.

Hotel quarantine worker has UK coronavirus 'variant of concern'

Genomic sequencing confirms the hotel quarantine staff member who contracted COVID-19 has the more infectious UK strain of the virus and work is underway to trace the infection to one of the six positive cases in the hotel.

www.abc.net.au

The Butcher Club Cluster in Vic showed that even the normal strain can transmit from brief contact, as several customers became infected and that was with customers and staffs wearing masks (though as we know some people do not wear mask properly).

However as the NZ CHO explain with the virus some people just are capable of transmitting the virus more than others and are super-spreaders. Many people will not transmit it at all, and others require sustained contact to do so.

It it is just bad luck whether any particular person is a super spreader. ie With The Black Rock cluster at the restaurant someone probably was as it generated 13 cases on the one night. Though the restaurant did have poor air ventilation.

 

[Pushka]

The new Melbourne Case also has the more transmissive UK Strain.

Genomic sequencing has confirmed the hotel quarantine staff member who contracted COVID-19 has the more infectious UK strain of the virus, Victoria's Chief Health Officer says.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said a laboratory had identified the worker as having the B117 variant of COVID-19, which is "the more transmissible variant of concern".

Professor Sutton said work was still being done to determine which of the six positive cases at the Grand Hyatt was the source of the infection.

Hotel quarantine worker has UK coronavirus 'variant of concern'

Genomic sequencing confirms the hotel quarantine staff member who contracted COVID-19 has the more infectious UK strain of the virus and work is underway to trace the infection to one of the six positive cases in the hotel.

www.abc.net.au

The Butcher Club Cluster in Vic showed that even the normal strain can transmit from brief contact, as several customers became infected and that was with customers and staffs wearing masks (though as we know some people do not wear mask properly).

However as the NZ CHO explain with the virus some people just are capable of transmitting the virus more than others and are super-spreaders. Many people will not transmit it at all, and others require sustained contact to do so.

It it is just bad luck whether any particular person is a super spreader. ie With The Black Rock cluster at the restaurant someone probably was as it generated 13 cases on the one night. Though the restaurant did have poor air ventilation.

The justification for SA lockdown was that it was the UK strain.