The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[louie-m]

Not exactly.

The country as a whole has to hit the target (so total adult population with 2 doses / total adult population >=+ 80%) plus an individual state also reach the target for that state to open up.

So if NSW and Vic both exceed 80% adult populaton vaccinated, that will likley be enough to push the national average to over 80%, meaning NSW and Vic could open up even if a smaller state like WA was still sitting at less than 80%.

OK. Thanks for putting me right, I had misunderstood.

 

[drron]

And we have seen that after setting a date the UK pushed it back before opening up.

But look what happened when the UK opened up.A lot of armchair experts predicted a disaster but -

 

[sanne]

Re the UK. Time will tell. It has been suggested that with the different Delta symptoms to the alpha strain many do not know that cold like symptoms may be Covid and don’t get tested. The official government web site has yet to be updated with the new symptoms.
The ZOE symptom tracker app tells a different story to the official government data.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

ultimately they need to go away from cases in the uk, high vaccination means you really want to ignore cases and just look at hospitals and deaths

 

[N860CR]

It has been suggested that with the different Delta symptoms to the alpha strain many do not know that cold like symptoms may be Covid and don’t get tested.

But does it matter?

 

[Port Power]

TAS is so close to reaching 50% of 70+ fully vaccinated which is a big milestone.

TAS being an island gives it some advantages over ACT for giving freedoms back if it reaches high vaccination levels much sooner than the country average. It wouldn't be much good for the ACT tourism saying people from QLD can come even if QLD is in lockdown if QLD says people returning from ACT have to do 14-days quarantine because of the situation in SYD.

Surely by now EVERYONE aged 70 and over (excluding medical exceptions) should be vaccinated? In every state!

 

[mviy]

Surely by now EVERYONE aged 70 and over (excluding medical exceptions) should be vaccinated? In every state!

Whilst I agree, a friend in mid-90s is due for a second dose next month, I think.

I have some 70+ friends who are waiting for Pfizer.

 

[Flying mermaid]

TAS is so close to reaching 50% of 70+ fully vaccinated which is a big milestone.

TAS being an island gives it some advantages over ACT for giving freedoms back if it reaches high vaccination levels much sooner than the country average. It wouldn't be much good for the ACT tourism saying people from QLD can come even if QLD is in lockdown if QLD says people returning from ACT have to do 14-days quarantine because of the situation in SYD.

Queensland has got much more rational about ACT’s closeness to NSW, but none of the other states are. I think Victoria, SA and WA have all declared us red even though it’s 13 months since we had a community case.

this week will be interesting with all the pollies back in town

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

But look what happened when the UK opened up.A lot of armchair experts predicted a disaster but -
View attachment 254405

A genuine question...
Any idea what caused the 7 day rolling average of new cases to fall so dramatically immediately after Freedom Day?
I think it’s fair to say that the removal of restrictions wouldn’t normally be expected to have that effect.
I hope it’s not because the rate of testing also fell dramatically at the same time...

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A genuine question...
Any idea what caused the 7 day rolling average of new cases to fall so dramatically immediately after Freedom Day?
I think it’s fair to say that the removal of restrictions wouldn’t normally be expected to have that effect.
I hope it’s not because the rate of testing also fell dramatically at the same time...

My guesses - more people outside so less household transmission, also less symptomatic testing.

 

[louie-m]

A genuine question...
Any idea what caused the 7 day rolling average of new cases to fall so dramatically immediately after Freedom Day?
I think it’s fair to say that the removal of restrictions wouldn’t normally be expected to have that effect.
I hope it’s not because the rate of testing also fell dramatically at the same time...

It's more a question of what caused the spike that preceded the fall. Answer: Euro football championship. Once that was over, things reverted to normal.

 

[N860CR]

more people outside so less household transmission

Maybe that’s what we’ve been doing wrong. Don’t stay home!

 

[jakeseven7]

Well the race to 70%/80% is on.

I think it will finish in the following order:
- Tasmania
- ACT
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Victoria
Country open up
- Western Australia
- Queensland

The small states and territories really have no excuse not to finish miles ahead of the big states.

As a nation we need to focus on NSW, VIC and QLD.

 

[Flying mermaid]

A genuine question...
Any idea what caused the 7 day rolling average of new cases to fall so dramatically immediately after Freedom Day?
I think it’s fair to say that the removal of restrictions wouldn’t normally be expected to have that effect.
I hope it’s not because the rate of testing also fell dramatically at the same time...

From what I have read they thought a factor could be school holidays so less spread at schools

 

[lovetravellingoz]

With the UK Vaccination Rate one also needs to bare in mind that up to 20% of people in the UK have had Covid, whereas in Australia the proportion will be very small.

So Australia most likely would need to achieve a higher vaccination rate than the UK.


Caveat: How long both vaccines and the disease will provide immunity for is still not known.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I hope it’s not because the rate of testing also fell dramatically at the same time...

Tests are down. But is that less disease, or just less testing? Tests were up in March, but cases were not.

There seems to be many different theories including the football.

Time will tell.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have some 70+ friends who are waiting for Pfizer.

Yes I think many who could have AZ are waiting for Pfizer still. With it to be opened up to teenagers most likely first they may be waiting a long time yet.

I hope your friends are not in NSW. Though having said that the virus is most likely going to keep breaking out in multiple states for some time yet.

Waiting for Pfizer at that age really boggles my mind.

 

[mviy]

They are not in NSW

The Herald Sun has a story “Top doctor says AstraZeneca vaccine advice wrong, jab should be given to everyone”: "AstraZeneca jabs should be given to everyone, according to an expert who says the nation has almost no chance of eliminating Delta."

It’s behind a paywall, so not sure what it says.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

news.com.au article highlighting comments from PM on 2GB

PM’s pointed vaccine advice

Scott Morrison has delivered a pointed reference to wild conspiracy theories during an interview on talkback radio as he pleaded with Australians to follow scientifically supported medical advice - not fake experts on Facebook.

www.news.com.au

Morrison said he was ambitious the threshold for vaccinations would be reached by Christmas so the country can attempt to return to normalcy by 2022.

“There’ll be enough vaccines,” he said in regards to 80 per cent of the population being vaccinated by the end of the year.

“There’ll be enough pharmacies, enough GPs, enough clinics, enough of all of that to achieve that.

“So it’s all up to all of us now.”

 

[drron]

Also in the UK the hospitalisation rate might be inflated.from the NHS figures 44% of admissions are because they have tested positive and need admission.43$ are found to test positive for covid within 2 days of admission which makes sense as everyone who has respiratory symptoms is tested for covid.But 13% test positive later than 2 days which in some cases would mean they were admitted for another problem and only incidentally found to have covid.

More than half of Covid hospital patients 'only tested positive after admission'

'People are worried and scared and not really understanding the true picture – that is what I find despicable.'

metro.co.uk

Forget the headline as it is another journalistic beat up.