General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[Flying mermaid]

Did he say what he’s doing or who is taking his place?

I think a lot would like Dr Coatsworth to take over.

Murphy was supposed to move to Secretary of the Department of Health but the move was delayed so he could handle the pandemic. I am sure we are all grateful for that! Paul Kelly will be acting CMO.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Interestingly 30% of people in hotel quarantine in Victoria have refused to take a test - higher than in other states

People in hotel quarantine to be tested at beginning and end of stay

Recent entries into Australia could be kept in hotel quarantine if they do not submit to being tested for COVID-19, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says, announcing a boost for testing at the border.

www.abc.net.au

 

[I love to travel]

Secretary of health IIRC, today is his last day as CMO

This was planned in January delayed by COVID

 

[Denali]

Interestingly 30% of people in hotel quarantine in Victoria have refused to take a test - higher than in other states

People in hotel quarantine to be tested at beginning and end of stay

Recent entries into Australia could be kept in hotel quarantine if they do not submit to being tested for COVID-19, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says, announcing a boost for testing at the border.

www.abc.net.au

I would suggest its a 3 week stay if they dont take the tests

 

[p--and--t]

I would suggest its a 3 week stay if they dont take the tests

...you left off the end of the sentence - at their own expense

 

[Pushka]

It's compulsory. Now Andrews just needs to enforce it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

It's compulsory Now Andrews just needs to enforce it.

He doesn’t seem great at the enforcing bit.......

 

[Lynda2475]

it was interesting that the WHO lady on last night The Project stated that to large family transmissions in Melbourne were from EID celebrations. Other officials have just said large families and cultural challenges.

CNN reported that in Greece the Greek Orthodox chruch still letting parishoners drikn communion wine from a common cup / spoon as they delusionally think their faith will protect them. And now we have relgious traditions being prioritised here with selfish individuals who knew they had Covid-19 and were told to self isolate for 14 days ignoring that diretive to go to work and Eid celebrations being largely responisble for the current surge in Victoria. Religious types worry me, as they feel their imaginary god will protect them and thus put everyone else at risk.

Im frustrated that there has been no reports of criminal prosecutions (fines or preferably jail sentence) for those individuals who blatantly chose to ignore health directives after receiving a positive diagnosis - they are direct;y responsible for not only putting others (inlcuding their own families) at a health risk but doing more damage to the economy as freedoms have had to be wound back. If I was a Victorian business impacted by this I would be lobbying my local member to charge those individuals (and publically name and shame). I think Andrews et al are afraid to take the hardline for fear of being perceived as politically incorret - but that is weak leadership that is hurting the majority of folks who are doing the right thing.

I was also annoyed to read that 30% of overseas arrivals in hotel quarantine in Vic have been refusing testing and released into community without testing. If a traveller was infected on route to Australia, then they could have active covid upon release - the mandatory testing should have been enforced from the time the mandatory hotel quarntine was introduced i.e. no release (except to hospital) without a negative Covid test on day 14.

Had the Vic government chosen to better enforce the powers avilable to them from the start, we might not be seeing rising cases now.

 

[JessicaTam]

Had the Vic government chosen to better enforce the powers avilable to them from the start, we might not be seeing rising cases now.

Trouble is, Victoria was much less lenient than other states. I am sure if I go back a few pages there were people complaining that Victoria had issued many more fines than any other state and we were being too strict.

No matter what we do, we obviously can't win.

 

[get me outta here]

He goes with huge credibility and I’m sure the Department of Health will be happy to have him there if his leadership of the department is as good. In my crystal ball, see an award for him in the future.

Murphy was supposed to move to Secretary of the Department of Health but the move was delayed so he could handle the pandemic. I am sure we are all grateful for that! Paul Kelly will be acting CMO.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Had the Vic government chosen to better enforce the powers avilable to them from the start, we might not be seeing rising cases now.

There is nothing to suggest that people going through hotel quarantine untested has infected anyone post quarantine.

All the evidence to date has shown that 14 days is an effective quarantine period. Murphy re-affirmed that today.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

it was interesting that the WHO lady on last night The Project stated that to large family transmissions in Melbourne were from EID celebrations.

While some clearly were, others were not. Well not unless they send their kids to catholic schools.

If you look at say the Woolert cluster that has been linked to a large social gathering. The North Melbourne family cluster which includes the H&M workers is also due to family gatherings.

What seems to have occurred is that there was community transmission bubbling along and when gathering sizes at family homes were relaxed people started socialising and mixing more without physical distancing, and so the rate of community spread accelerated as the virus loves close proximity.

 

[Pushka]

Trouble is, Victoria was much less lenient than other states. I am sure if I go back a few pages there were people complaining that Victoria had issued many more fines than any other state and we were being too strict.

No matter what we do, we obviously can't win.

Quixotic is how I'd describe the Vic Government. Incredibly tight, in some areas but in others, crazily lenient. so no one really knew or could conveniently choose to ignore, exactly where the real path was. You really needed to come back to live in SA Jess!

I keep going back to seriousness. Ok, Covid is obviously in the community. But is there an update on how hospital rates in Victoria are doing? Is it as serious now?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I keep going back to seriousness. Ok, Covid is obviously in the community. But is there an update on how hospital rates in Victoria are doing? Is it as serious now?

No, not serious in the hospitals.

DATE	HOSP	ICU	VENT
Sat 20 Jun	6	3	1
Sun 21 Jun	7	2	2
Mon 22 Jun	9	2	2
Tue 23 Jun	9	3	2
Wed 24 Jun	7	2
Thu 25 Jun	7	2
Fri 26 Jun	6	1

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And if you want some history:


Cases in Hospital

DATE	HOSP	ICU	VENT
Wed 1 Apr	32	6
Thu 2 Apr	34	6
Fri 3 Apr	37	7
Sat 4 Apr	42	10
Sun 5 Apr	47	11
Mon 6 Apr	45	11
Tue 7 Apr	47	13
Wed 8 Apr	45	12
Thu 9 Apr	50	13
Fri 10 Apr	43	13
Sat 11 Apr	44	15
Sun 12 Apr	44	16
Mon 13 Apr	40	14
Tue 14 Apr	40	15
Wed 15 Apr	39	18	12
Thu 16 Apr	39	18	9
Fri 17 Apr	32	13	9
Sat 18 Apr	30	12	8
Sun 19 Apr	29	10	8
Mon 20 Apr	28	11	9
Tue 21 Apr	28	12	9
Wed 22 Apr	29	12	8
Thu 23 Apr	27	10	7
Fri 24 Apr	27	11	7
Sat 25 Apr	24	11	7
Sun 26 Apr	21	10	5
Mon 27 Apr	23	11	6
Tue 28 Apr	23	11	6
Wed 29 Apr	18	9	6
Thu 30 Apr	18	9	5
Fri 1 May	16	7	5
Sat 2 May	12	7	5
Sun 3 May	12	7	5
Mon 4 May	11	6	6
Tue 5 May	12	6	5
Wed 6 May	8	6	5
Thu 7 May	8	6	5
Fri 8 May	8	6	4
Sat 9 May	7	6	4
Sun 10 May	7	5	4
Mon 11 May	7	5	4
Tue 12 May	8	4	4
Wed 13 May	9	6	4
Thu 14 May	9	6	4
Fri 15 May	9	7	5
Sat 16 May	11	7	5
Sun 17 May	11	7	6
Mon 18 May	9	5	4
Tue 19 May	11	5	4
Wed 20 May	10	5	4
Thu 21 May	10	5	4
Fri 22 May	10	5	4
Sat 23 May	10	3	3
Sun 24 May	9	3	3
Mon 25 May	8	3	3
Tue 26 May	8	3	3
Wed 27 May	8	4	1
Thu 28 May	8	3	1
Fri 29 May	7	2	1
Sat 30 May	7	2	1
Sun 31 May	6	2	1
Mon 1 Jun	6	1	1
Tue 2 Jun	9	2	1
Wed 3 Jun	9	2	1
Thu 4 Jun	7	2	1
Fri 5 Jun	7	1	1
Sat 6 Jun	8	3	1
Sun 7 Jun	6	2	1
Mon 8 Jun	7	2	1
Tue 9 Jun	7	1	0
Wed 10 Jun	9	2	1
Thu 11 Jun	6	1	1
Fri 12 Jun	5	1	1
Sat 13 Jun	5	1	1
Sun 14 Jun	6	2	1
Mon 15 Jun	7	3	1
Tue 16 Jun	6	2	1
Wed 17 Jun	5	2	1
Thu 18 Jun	4	2	2
Fri 19 Jun	5	2	1
Sat 20 Jun	6	3	1
Sun 21 Jun	7	2	2
Mon 22 Jun	9	2	2
Tue 23 Jun	9	3	2
Wed 24 Jun	7	2
Thu 25 Jun	7	2
Fri 26 Jun	6	1

 

[get me outta here]

So, why is it important if people in quarantine get tested or not, if two weeks is enough?

There is nothing to suggest that people going through hotel quarantine untested has infected anyone post quarantine.

All the evidence to date has shown that 14 days is an effective quarantine period. Murphy re-affirmed that today.

 

[Pushka]

So, why is it important if people in quarantine get tested or not, if two weeks is enough?

Whether the two weeks is enough if someone shows positive during that period is the great debate here on AFF

 

[drron]

There is nothing to suggest that people going through hotel quarantine untested has infected anyone post quarantine.

All the evidence to date has shown that 14 days is an effective quarantine period. Murphy re-affirmed that today.

14 days is an effective quarantine if people are first of all honest in reporting symptoms and are tested.The incubation period is known to be up to 14 days to the developement of symptoms.People developing symptoms from day 12 on are still going to be infectious for at least a couple of days when released.
And just because nothing has been reported it doesn't mean anyone released from quarantine hasn't caused other infections.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Was thinking about this - authorities are between a rock and a hard place. Say someone gets tested and it turns out it was a family celebration where people were hugging and kissing etc etc. If they fine everyone for not doing the right thing, well then people will just stop coming forward and will lie about how they contracted it. So I suppose they have to take the encouraging, education route rather than fines.

the one thing I would get aggressive about is people have to have tests or else they isolate for 14 days. Particularly since the new saliva test seems a lot less intrusive.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Was thinking about this - authorities are between a rock and a hard place. Say someone gets tested and it turns out it was a family celebration where people were hugging and kissing etc etc. If they fine everyone for not doing the right thing, well then people will just stop coming forward and will lie about how they contracted it. So I suppose they have to take the encouraging, education route rather than fines.

the one thing I would get aggressive about is people have to have tests or else they isolate for 14 days. Particularly since the new saliva test seems a lot less intrusive.

I don’t think in recent days it has been reported that anyone has been fined for not social distancing (eg 1.5m, Hand washing, cough into sleeve) or being out while showing symptoms or not getting tested.

I, and I feel many others, would like fines for:
1. People who test positive and break quarantine/isolation requirement
2. People who refuse test while in mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals.
3. Close contacts of positives who break isolation (without a test result)
4. And probably those who live in suburb hotspots who break isolation recommendation without a negative test result.