Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[SydneySwan]

Perhaps we should refuse flights from corrupt countries such as India then.

I think NZ has 'paused' flights from India for a while.

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

I think NZ has 'paused' flights from India for a while.

2 weeks, but would not be a surprise if that gets extended. Number of cases detected day 0 at the border has gone down significantly.

 

[jakeseven7]

2 weeks, but would not be a surprise if that gets extended. Number of cases detected day 0 at the border has gone down significantly.

I suspect Australia is not far behind with the ban on India.... it will blow up at some point.

Perhaps they may exempt repatriation flights....

 

[Pushka]

I suspect Australia is not far behind with the ban on India.... it will blow up at some point.

Perhaps they may exempt repatriation flights....

SA gets multiples every time a flight arrives with people from India but as those flights must be coming via SQ or QR, I'm not sure how that can be fixed.

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW still haven't worked out how they got local transmission within HQ at Adina

----

NSW hotel quarantine investigation: How virus passed between hotel rooms still a mystery​

Reporter Ruby Cornish spoke to News Breakfast moments ago with the latest on the transmission of COVID-19 in NSW hotel quarantine.

"These three cases were initially classified as overseas acquired but that has been revised. They're now classified as locally acquired, which brings an end to New South Wales's almost 3-week COVID free streak.

Australia won't be fully vaccinated until August 2023 if rollout continues at current pace — as it happened

As National Cabinet meets to discuss speeding up Australia's vaccine rollout, ABC analysis shows that at the current rate it would take until August 2023 to get enough jabs into enough arms.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Kiwi_Flyer]

SA gets multiples every time a flight arrives with people from India but as those flights must be coming via SQ or QR, I'm not sure how that can be fixed.

It is no different to NZ in that all arrivals from India are via somewhere else. Usually DXB or DOH.

 

[Lynda2475]

The latest cases from India were on the repatriation flight into DRW, these flights are usually direct and not via SIN.

 

[Lynda2475]

They're now classified as locally acquired, which brings an end to New South Wales's almost 3-week COVID free streak

But as not community cases it shouldn't have any impact on eased restrictions or travel. Then again WA will probably reclassify NSW.

Some confusing messaging in that article . The family of 4 that acquired Covid overseas and infected the family of 3 were said " to have been infectious between 8 and 11 April" so over a week ago, yet then "all 7 of those people have been transferred to special health accommodation and they'll stay there until they're no longer infectious".

Presumably should says until 14 days quarantine completed or no longer infectious which ever is longer, given the first family have already been stated as no longer being infectious.

That said I'm always a bit skeptical about the claim that people are not infectious if they are clearly still exhibiting symptoms.

 

[SydneySwan]

The latest cases from India were on the repatriation flight into DRW, these flights are usually direct and not via SIN.

What do you mean by the latest cases? NSW reported 8 more cases in HQ today. I suspect some or all of those are from India.

 

[Lynda2475]

What do you mean by the latest cases?

The latest cases publicly reported as coming from India, form ABC:

Four more people test positive for COVID-19 after arriving in NT from India​

Four more people have tested positive for coronavirus after arriving in the Northern Territory on repatriation flights from India.

The group includes an 8-year-old girl, an 11-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man who arrived on a flight from New Delhi on Saturday and a 60-year-old man who arrived on the flight from Chennai last Thursday.

Health authorities say all four have mild symptoms and remain in Darwin's Howard Springs quarantine facility.

It brings the total number of positive cases on last week's repatriation flights to 10.



You may be right about today's NSW cases but they haven't said so yet - wont likely know until Monday's report (looking at difference from this weeks).

Either way not all flights from India into Australia are indirect, there are direct repatriation flights into Darwin and sometimes an Air India direct flight into SYD.

 

[dajop]

What do you mean by the latest cases? NSW reported 8 more cases in HQ today. I suspect some or all of those are from India.

I find it it interesting in a liberal democracy such as Australia, it is always difficult to find information about what is going in with new cases.
Yet in a one-party state, such as Singapore, there are daily updates published on the internet (with graphs showing how many people in HQ and travel history and various other info). Always know the travel history of new cases (yesterday, for example India - 11, Nepal 2, Bangladesh 4, Myanmar 1, Romania 1, Kazakhstan 1, Philippines 1, Indonesia 1).

 

[Lynda2475]

it is always difficult to find information about what is going in with new cases

In NSW it isnt that difficult it just usually means waiting a week for the latest covid 19 surveillance report:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) - weekly-reports

www.health.nsw.gov.au

From last week:



Interpretation: In March and April 2021, there has been an increase in detections of COVID-19 in travellers from India, Bangladesh and Lebanon. The pattern seen in COVID-positive travellers over time reflects the evolving nature of the pandemic in those areas and the country of origin of returned travellers.

Just need to look at next weeks total for India and deduct the 107 currently showing to figure it out. Of course the use of "Other" is a pain, but I assume if any country in "other" becomes material they will start reporting separately.

Other states however may not share this same level of detail.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I find it it interesting in a liberal democracy such as Australia, it is always difficult to find information about what is going in with new cases.
Yet in a one-party state, such as Singapore, there are daily updates published on the internet (with graphs showing how many people in HQ and travel history and various other info). Always know the travel history of new cases (yesterday, for example India - 11, Nepal 2, Bangladesh 4, Myanmar 1, Romania 1, Kazakhstan 1, Philippines 1, Indonesia 1).

Yes NZ also report where international cases are from. Which is probably why travellers from India is on pause to NZ at present.

 

[ethernet]

I would be incredibly pissed off especially if the administration had not taken proper care like proper ventilation testing...

Ventilation testing was done by contractors. I doubt anyone checked what was done, and what was not done. Set off a stink bomb in one room, and see how long it takes to smell it next door. Did they use a mercaptin test and pump the room with positive pressure? Probably not. Instead newbies with no practical knowledge pick up a phonebook... Like all building reports, it will have a disclaimer a mile long. That is why such reports are never peer reviewed.

If there are holes/gaps found in room divider walls, that could be a fire hazard, and be very very expensive to repair. Set off a stinkbomb in the bathroom service hole is the most likely. In there will be gaps to the main service riser. Often a plumber will bash open a bigger hole to make a repair/unblock, and to lazy to reseal with a vermiculite slurry.

 

[33kft]

Yet in a one-party state, such as Singapore, there are daily updates published on the internet (with graphs showing how many people in HQ and travel history and various other info). Always know the travel history of new cases (yesterday, for example India - 11, Nepal 2, Bangladesh 4, Myanmar 1, Romania 1, Kazakhstan 1, Philippines 1, Indonesia 1).

Well it wouldn't be a particularly long bow to draw to point out that regardless of Singapore's style of governance, it's a city-state where country representatives are the equivalent of state MPs (in that GRCs are roughly equivalent to local seats), 85% the land area of Canberra and with a population of approx. our 3rd most populous state.

ie. not exactly a direct comparison

 

[ethernet]

Australia won't be fully vaccinated until August 2023 if rollout continues at current pace — as it happened

As National Cabinet meets to discuss speeding up Australia's vaccine rollout, ABC analysis shows that at the current rate it would take until August 2023 to get enough jabs into enough arms.

www.abc.net.au

per my prediction for AZ, standards are being lowered so supply does not bank up. If they don't meet the market, then the cost of a breakout will be eyewatering. Yes over 50 is sensible on obvious.

 

[dajop]

Well it wouldn't be a particularly long bow to draw to point out that regardless of Singapore's style of governance, it's a city-state where country representatives are the equivalent of state MPs (in that GRCs are roughly equivalent to local seats), 2/3 the size of Canberra and with a population of approx. our 3rd most populous state.

ie. not exactly a direct comparison

All being true, but I still can't help but think that the Federal Government who were originally supposed to be responsible for quarantining the country could be a little more transparent. I just wonder how hard is it to tabulate the data from the different states and publish simple stats like travel history of those testing positive? It seems like NSW, as per @Lynda2475's post is doing this quite transparently, which is great. Although shame no breakdown of "other" (I'm personally interested to see how many travelling from Singapore have tested positive in quarantine in last 6 months, although I expect it be 0 as we would have heard about it here).

The cynic in me says i it would probably take a $10m IT project to consolidate such data from the states (about travel history) and take 3 years to implement so not worthwhile doing so.

 

[33kft]

The cynic in me says i it would probably take a $10m IT project to consolidate such data from the states (about travel history) and take 3 years to implement so not worthwhile doing so.

Or people would just naturally crowdsource the data. Currently, websites like covidlive do a pretty good job of consolidating information from the states, so as long as the states publish the data, it wouldn't take someone long to step up and provide it in a consolidated format.

 

[dajop]

Or people would just naturally crowdsource the data. Currently, websites like covidlive do a pretty good job of consolidating information from the states, so as long as the states publish the data, it wouldn't take someone long to step up and provide it in a consolidated format.

Agreed. Being contingent on states publishing the data.

I guess on reflection it doesn't serve much purpose knowing where positive people were before they entered Australia, as borders are closed. (even though personally I would like to know whether the government are being reasonable in their management of risk, such as preventing Australians from travelling to certain countries (say Singapore, where I am) .... and requiring Australians travelliing from the same countries to go through 2 weeks HQ instead of at least monitored home quarantine. But I guess knowing that doesn't change anything).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ventilation testing was done by contractors.

Ventilation testing and pressure testing of the rooms and building will be useless when guests can open windows in their bedroom like this (Note the photos below are all from the hotel in question):



and this:



Or in the lounge area




Not to mention open their doors onto their balconies...





When HQ was first utilised it was thought that CV19 was not aerosolised unless invasive procedures were used or you had an unbundance of very sick Covid cases.

It is now known however that some people can aerosolise the virus just from normal exhalation. As soon as that was known it meant that great care needed to be used in hotels were still going to be used for quarantine purposes , and also that many building simply are not suitable.

One key point (Note that there are other important factors such as humidity control etc) is that you need to be able to control the airflow, so that when aerosolisation does occur that it is drawn out of the room via the ducting and is not allowed to float out of the room via the corridor or through other means. ie vents , risers etc.

As soon as you open an outside door or window you however create a situation where the HVAC may no longer control how the air moves in the room/s and also how it may also move out into the corridor, or beyond.

Outside air can cause large pressure differences and depending on the direction of wind this can be both positive and negative. ie Just as with an airplane wing or sail, one side will be positive pressure and one side negative.

The rooms at this hotel have individually controlled air-conditioning (unless this has been modified), and so may be turn off by the occupant,. If that happens and windows/doors are open then the airflow from them is solely controlled the airflow.

Even if the HVAC is controlled then the hotel's Building Management System is most likely unless it is set not to will cycle on and off and not be continuous flow. In which case the external air will again dominate the airflow movement.

So with open windows and doors it really becomes a matter of chance where the air will move. And chance is not what you want in a quarantine facility. So unless you have separate cabins, open doors and windows are nota good idea if you are concerned about controlling the movement of air which may have aerolised virus in it..



And yes as discussed airvents for cooking/bathroom can be an issue.

Service risers/drains could also be an issue if the two rooms share the same service riser or drain. With SARS one serious apartment outbreak was caused by when fans brought in external air and where the the toilets had faulty plumbing which lead to aerosolised virus being spread from toilet waste to the occupants, and to a nearby second apartment building.


Caveat: NSW Health may have had all the windows and doors locked. But one would suspect not.