General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[Melburnian1]

I can see the reasoning behind not just letting go of the string now and watching it go mad again, perhaps they want to get past Easter and school holidays first, a period where there could be a lot of unnecessary travel, before loosening restrictions and perhaps testing the waters with business travel and seeing where that takes us. Beyond that if signs are good, most restrictions could be lifted.

I'm itching to fly and support communities far and wide, but don't want to catch something while doing so

The most difficult task - impossible, perhaps - for the vast majority of us who are not medically trained or epidemiologists - is to try to process what can be conflicting messages.

Overall, 'National Cabinet' seems to work fairly well, but one still hears different 'takes' on 'how long staying at home will last' and so on. We can accept that State restrictions on activity are not uniform, because these are supposedly tailored to local conditions.

And then there's discussion of a 'second wave' in say Singapore, which has had more stringent isolating than we've had (although migrant workers in dorms appear to have been a problem).

I never thought I'd see the day when NSWTrainLInk with two XPT departures a day from Sydney to (Albury,due to trackwork further south - coaches beyond) Melbourne would have more daily seats than the combined might of Qantas/Virgin Australia.

 

[bcworld]

And then there's discussion of a 'second wave' in say Singapore, which has had more stringent isolating than we've had (although migrant workers in dorms appear to have been a problem).

Didn't the second wave in Singapore (and Hong Kong) arise when they put out the call for their overseas students (and other residents) to return home now if they wanted to?

I can see a situation in the near future where life in Australia returns to normal, but the border remains closed for an extended period.

 

[Melburnian1]

...
I can see a situation in the near future where life in Australia returns to normal, but the border remains closed for an extended period.

If other nations don't open their borders, that will be a further problem.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Well it’s 11 am on Good Friday when traffic jams about reach their peak. But not today
M1 at Hawkesbury River

and at Helensvale between BNE and Gold Coast

 

[samh004]

I can see a situation in the near future where life in Australia returns to normal, but the border remains closed for an extended period.

Completely off topic for this thread now, but it's probably time for more Aussie's to see their own backyard, and if the case is that international tourism is closed but domestic tourism ramps up, I think that's a great path to take in the lead up to the world opening back up. So much to see and do here.

 

[PineappleSkip]

That's what we were going to do after the bushfires, samh004. remember the bushfires?

 

[suze2000]

We live two streets back from a 6-lane road in Melbourne. I have remarked to my husband how little noise we're getting from it the last week, as the lockdown really starts to bite. He hasn't really noticed but it always depended on how the wind blows. Now, there's not a rumble, no trucks, no dickheads hooning. And when there are hoons, you can hear it forever and I'm sure the cops can too.

Along with the halving of my commute time to the hospital I work at (which means I don't need to leave home until 8:15 instead of 7:40 and get home at 6:05 instead of 6:35-7:00), I'm loving this. I hope when we get back to normal, more people will continue to work from home, at least half of the time.

The planet will love it and it will mean less need for new roads and so many other less tangible benefits, like less stress for those of us who have to drive every day.

 

[Melburnian1]

...25% of those in isolation did not comply, plus the arts minister.. those rules only apply to the little people. Today some south cost towns are refusing to serve out-of-towners making use of vacant holiday properties, while Qld is talking of establishing a FNQ internal border.

Then we have WA who harvested the benefit of Ruby Princess returnees. I believe this coughshow is driven by cost shifting and state govt's wanting to avoid hospital response costs - the national picture is not in their state budget. Unidentified spreaders will spread wherever they are, unless confined. So new save money efforts - double down on lockdowns, hoping to winkle out Covid Mary's...

You are discussing the NSW Minister for the Arts, Don Harwin, I assume? He was issued a $1000 fine after community pressure. I don't live in NSW but media suggests the messages up there were unambiguous. so if true, it's poor he did that. Once the 'big' people ignore these rules, the 'little' people ask 'why should we observe these restrictions?'

In Victoria, the Premier Daniel Andrews has given confusing messages re travelling to holiday homes, which he's said was 'OK' at least a couple of times, but his Chief Health Officer has said 'essential travel only' or that's what the rules imply. So my neighbours and many others have gone to Lorne, Phillip Island and so on to find "the locals" don't want them there.

You're probably correct about 'hospital cost shifting' onto the Commonwealth, a practice that's been occurring for years. In Victoria, public hospitals have staff who go round enquiring of patients 'do you have private health cover?' so that the funds then have to pay the daily costs not the State Govt.

 

[Melburnian1]

..But it would seem that QF has all but shut down, which is probably not unreasonable under the circumstances.

If so, why has it retained 10,000 of its 30,000 staff according to (perhaps dated) media reports?

 

[moa999]

Though the Harwin fine was harsh.. given he'd supposedly relocated up the coast a few weeks ago. If you've got a few homes surely you can decide where to live if able to work from home day to day.

By the same token I suspect the Govt might rake it in if they sent the police door knocking down at Palm Beach.

 

[nerdag]

Though the Harwin fine was harsh.. given he'd supposedly relocated up the coast a few weeks ago.

And decided to go shopping in the eastern suburbs of Sydney whilst apparently based on the Central Coast.

The fine is entirely appropriate.

 

[CaptJCool]

And decided to go shopping in the eastern suburbs of Sydney whilst apparently based on the Central Coast.

The fine is entirely appropriate.

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has accepted the resignation of her arts minister, Don Harwin, after he was fined $1,000 for staying at his Central Coast holiday home, breaching a Covid-19 public health order.

 

[Franky]

You're probably correct about 'hospital cost shifting' onto the Commonwealth, a practice that's been occurring for years. In Victoria, public hospitals have staff who go round enquiring of patients 'do you have private health cover?' so that the funds then have to pay the daily costs not the State Govt.

That's been going on for decades...

 

[Franky]

The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has accepted the resignation of her arts minister, Don Harwin, after he was fined $1,000 for staying at his Central Coast holiday home, breaching a Covid-19 public health order.

As appropriate as the resignation of Scotland's Chief Health Adviser for the same thing a few days ago. There was some mumbling on the news last night that she couldn't or wouldn't fire him as he was a big numbers man, but sanity has prevailed.

 

[get me outta here]

A guy took his car late at night to the car wash with his dog, and got fined. The footage showed an empty car wash with him, the dog and the police.

 

[SydneySwan]

A guy took his car late at night to the car wash with his dog, and got fined. The footage showed an empty car wash with him, the dog and the police.

Which state? VIC I would guess.

 

[get me outta here]

Edit : Here’s the report. : Foul-mouthed driver lets fly on police as they fine him $1,652 for breaking COVID-19 rules by using a carwash at 2am - and tells officers they have 'no chance' of stopping people celebrating Easter outdoors

Which state? VIC I would guess.

 

[nutwood]

A guy took his car late at night to the car wash with his dog, and got fined. The footage showed an empty car wash with him, the dog and the police.

Unsure what the problem is here? Possibly he could have been politer to the police but the activity was harmless and the only escalation of COVID-19 infection was the police interaction with him. At least the dog got an outing and some entertainment!

 

[milehighclub]

If so, why has it retained 10,000 of its 30,000 staff according to (perhaps dated) media reports?

Because a lot changes in 24 hours let a lone a few weeks since that announcement. As things change, more staff are gradually being stood down. Not really worthy a media statement every time.

 

[CaptJCool]

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