Coronavirus

[-- AJ -- 472]

30 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

I have family who live on the gold coast, one a teacher, one employed by a small business..  They have been told that if they go interstate they are not allowed to mingle with people from Sydney or known hotspots.  They will not be allowed to return to work if they do so until they have been cleared.......  Try telling a 9 year old that they cant play with their sydney cousins at the beach this year.  🤷‍♀️

And just how are they going to know if the person standing behind them in the coffee queue at the local cafe is from a covid hotspot?  

36 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

They have been told that if they go interstate they are not allowed to mingle with people from Sydney or known hotspots.  They will not be allowed to return to work if they do so until they have been cleared.

Who told them that?  I've contacted QLD health about my proposed trip to Wollongong for Christmas and their advice didn't include anythng about being tested on my return..

I have had a special request from the office to WFH for the 2 weeks after I get back but thats more to do with some of the team having underlying health issues than any directive from QLD Health.

[Cat Lady 813]

2 minutes ago, -- AJ -- said:

And just how are they going to know if the person standing behind them in the coffee queue at the local cafe is from a covid hotspot?  

Who told them that?  I've contacted QLD health about my proposed trip to Wollongong for Christmas and their advice didn't include anythng about being tested on my return..

I have had a special request from the office to WFH for the 2 weeks after I get back but thats more to do with some of the team having underlying health issues than any directive from QLD Health.

one was a private school.  the other is a small business who has taken it very seriously.  Work from home and only just recently rotational working in the office.

[-- AJ -- 472]

5 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

one was a private school.  the other is a small business who has taken it very seriously.  Work from home and only just recently rotational working in the office.

Fair enough.  Duty-of-Care by those organisations.

[Peter 4,056]

Head down this rabbit hole 

https://unlimitedhangout.com/2020/11/reports/us-uk-intel-agencies-declare-cyber-war-on-independent-media/?fbclid=IwAR2Xq7cy64IxJnC14FFsHWnyw1684zkFl8UFhUIcA6lTZDNyR_0TI4i0x7A

[roxii 7,063]

Interesting that NZ has recorded a new case. 

[Peter 4,056]

Another one bites the dust in Victoria. 
 

dan is cleaning up. 
 

Quote

Victorian Health Department boss resigns

The secretary of the Victorian Health Department, Kym Peake, has resigned from her position.

Ms Peake faced significant pressure during the hotel quarantine debacle as the bureaucrat in charge of one of the key departments involved in the program.

She will be replaced by Professor Euan Wallace.

Health Department boss Kym Peake during the hotel quarantine inquiry.CREDIT:

In a statement, Premier Daniel Andrews thanked Ms Peake for her work.

"Kym Peake who has served in the role for the last five years has decided to step down from the position to pursue other opportunities," the statement said.

"Ms Peake has led significant reform that has touched the lives of many Victorians including the relief and recovery from recent bushfires, the establishment of the Mental Health Royal Commission, and the delivery of many of the recommendations from the Family Violence Royal Commission.

"We thank Ms Peake for her dedicated service to Victoria and for her tireless commitment throughout the pandemic and her time with DHHS. We wish her well for the future."

Chris Eccles, who ran the Department of Premier and Cabinet, resigned over the hotel quarantine scandal in October.

Professor Wallace has been seconded from Safer Care Victoria, where he is chief executive, to the Health Department in recent months. He has been jointly responsible for contact tracing and outbreak management

An academic obstetrician and gynecologist by training, Professor Wallace is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Monash University.

 

[truck 445]

58 minutes ago, Peter said:

Another one bites the dust in Victoria. 
 

dan is cleaning up. 
 

 

So will he hang on post the release of the hotel report (released when most people have gone on leave)? The IBAC stuff is also now starting to look a bit iffy as well.

[Peter 4,056]

13 minutes ago, truck said:

So will he hang on post the release of the hotel report (released when most people have gone on leave)? The IBAC stuff is also now starting to look a bit iffy as well.

Sadly he will.  
 

He has thrown enough people under the bus to avoid going himself.  
 

Still predicting he will be PM one day.  God help us. 

[Peter 4,056]

Meanwhile in the UK 

A freedom pass?

 

[roxii 7,063]

Slovakia is trying something similar but with the whole population.

There are fears though that the rapid tests give a lot of false negatives. 

[Turts 2,958]

5 hours ago, Peter said:

Yeah a nurse apparently. 
 

finished working in aged care.

oh dear........ aged care...... shedding the virus, after being positive earlier. 

Hope this is all it amounts to. 

[chris 118]

Not one virus news article in the west today

 

must be over now then

[Peter 4,056]

From Scomo 

 

The first group includes those who are at increased risk of exposure to the virus (and at higher risk of being infected and transmitting) and who work in settings with a high transmission risk.

That group includes care workers, including health, aged care, disability support and quarantine workers.

The second group includes those at an increased risk of developing severe disease or having worse health outcomes, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the elderly, and people with some underlying health conditions.

Essential services workers form the last group, which includes “key occupations” that cover services “critical to societal functioning”.

The paper does not explain which occupations that may include.

[Peter 4,056]

[MissJess 671]

51 minutes ago, Peter said:

Essential services workers form the last group, which includes “key occupations” that cover services “critical to societal functioning”.

Baristas and bartenders 🤣

[Peter 4,056]

Well the WA premier said he won’t even discuss letting NSW VIC people in until they both hit 28 days in a row (nsw 8 ) 

and now looks like South Australia is also in the 28 day holding pattern too. 
 

sorta suggest, WA will remain shut until the vaccine is given to everyone.  
 

Glad I don’t like in WA.  
 

[roxii 7,063]

Yeah its a bit crazy. 

We need to accept that while ever we have anyone coming in to the country, be they returning residents, air crew, business people who can get exemptions or anyone coming into the country that occasionally these slip ups will occur and we need to open our internal borders and learn to contain and trace these small outbreaks. 

NZ has shown that even after 100% "eradication" it can still get in and you just need to jump on it and deal with it. 

WA is just lucky its built on minerals others need. 

[Katz 1,614]

I am personally affected by this latest turn of events with a planned visit from a friend no longer able to go ahead. While incredibly disappointing, I am happy with the response overall.

Glad to live in WA where my life is for all intensive purposes (sic) going about as it ordinarily would. No, I won't get to see any of my family over Christmas, my own children included, but everyone is safe, working and free to go about their daily lives. 

[Cat Lady 813]

anybody planning on going interstate would be crazy to do so with this typical knee jerk reaction from our beloved premiers.  All states need to get up to speed with track and trace and let Australia become a single country again.  There may be a medical argument for keeping international borders closed/limited, but between states is just plain stupid.  In my not so humble opinion.

 

[-H- 1,204]

1 hour ago, Katz said:

for all intensive purposes (sic) 

Oh my goodness you gave me a scare there!

[roxii 7,063]

1 minute ago, Cat Lady said:

anybody planning on going interstate would be crazy to do so with this typical knee jerk reaction from our beloved premiers.  All states need to get up to speed with track and trace and let Australia become a single country again.  There may be a medical argument for keeping international borders closed/limited, but between states is just plain stupid.  In my not so humble opinion.

 

Absolutely 100% agree. 

What Katz says is true for most of us, in NSW I don't have many, if any, restrictions on my life such as it is, an even Victoria is moving that way. 

What we should be doing is all moving forward as a nation now, and not states. States like NSW could assist in helping other states get their tracing up to speed and we knock any outbreaks on the head where ever they are. 

[-H- 1,204]

4 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

anybody planning on going interstate would be crazy to do so with this typical knee jerk reaction from our beloved premiers.  All states need to get up to speed with track and trace and let Australia become a single country again.  There may be a medical argument for keeping international borders closed/limited, but between states is just plain stupid.  In my not so humble opinion.

 

I have the option to join my sister and her friends on our planned trip to Lord Howe Island one day late (they are going on 22nd, NSW border opens the next day).  But I'm reluctant to pay for flights etc when things can change so quickly 

[Peter 4,056]

 

8 minutes ago, roxii said:

Absolutely 100% agree. 

What Katz says is true for most of us, in NSW I don't have many, if any, restrictions on my life such as it is, an even Victoria is moving that way. 

What we should be doing is all moving forward as a nation now, and not states. States like NSW could assist in helping other states get their tracing up to speed and we knock any outbreaks on the head where ever they are. 

Victoria will never stop using masks indoors (in 2021 that should be).  In shops trains bunnings etc....

This I believe will help us handle future breakouts like the new 17 in SA.

Other than that, Victoria is 80% normal again.

 

The issue now in SA will happen in WA and I think with their freedom they have or believe they have is going to bite them in the arse. 

If SA were today to turn around and go, from tonight masks are compulsory with a $250 fine for not wearing them, the state would meltdown.

It's only a matter of time that this type of thing happens in WA and QLD and again in Vic.

I obviously don't want any of it to happen, but logic says it will unless premiers like the WA guy locks down WA for the next few years.

Edited November 16 by Peter

[Katz 1,614]

9 minutes ago, roxii said:

States like NSW could assist in helping other states get their tracing up to speed and we knock any outbreaks on the head where ever they are. 

Agreed.

 

4 minutes ago, Peter said:

The issue now in SA will happen in WA and I think with their freedom they have or believe they have is going to bite them in the arse. 

Agreed. That is my greatest fear. We are now so complacent if and when it does creep in, without getting good track and trace (and I think the ability to take swift and decisive action for short periods is also required), we'll be screwed.

[Cat Lady 813]

Leading epidemiologist had a good point in today's Australian.  We need to get out of the Hotel quarantine in major cities.  The NT model of the Howard Springs facility would greatly reduce the "leakage" of the virus into  high density cities.

Edited November 16 by Cat Lady
spelling

[Peter 4,056]

2 minutes ago, Katz said:

Agreed.

 

Agreed. That is my greatest fear. We are now so complacent if and when it does creep in, without getting good track and trace (and I think the ability to take swift and decisive action for short periods is also required), we'll be screwed.

But thats why the over reaction last night with the planes from SA is the wrong decision.

You still arent testing if your systems work.

Meaning you will be locked down for a long time now.

Mark even said over the weekend that once NSW and VIC have 28 days then he would meet with his people to discuss opening.  Where before he said he would open after 28 days.

Changing the goal posts like that means he has zero faith in the WA systems and people to do the right thing.  Therefore taking the easier decision to lock you down for 9 months already which is going to become much longer now.

What he should be doing is putting in hard systems that could be followed in 12 hours of what aged care etc... need to do if a case pops up and protect the old.

The data in Australia shows that 99% of people under 65 arent dying from this virus.

[Peter 4,056]

1 minute ago, Cat Lady said:

Leading epidemiologies had a good point in today's Australian.  We need to get out of the Hotel quarantine in major cities.  The NT model of the Howard Springs facility would greatly reduce the "leakage" of the virus into the high density cities.

agree.

If they surveyed Victorian people Im sure 90% plus would say never have hotel quarantine here again. When they mentioned that they might move to home quarantine no one wanted that.

[roxii 7,063]

Gladys making sense again.  Considering Sydney and Melbournes CBD's contribute almost 50% of Australia's GDP, at least they know the value of keeping moving. 

 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said the state’s border with South Australia will remain open, despite a growing COVID-19 cluster there.

"You can't open and shut borders and change things overnight every time there is an outbreak," Ms Berejiklian said.

[Cat Lady 813]

Go Gladys

[Cat Lady 813]

Just now, Cat Lady said:

Go Gladys

in the vernacular, not literal sense

[-- AJ -- 472]

31 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

anybody planning on going interstate would be crazy to do so with this typical knee jerk reaction from our beloved premiers.  All states need to get up to speed with track and trace and let Australia become a single country again.  There may be a medical argument for keeping international borders closed/limited, but between states is just plain stupid.  In my not so humble opinion.

 

I like the way that opening the QLD borders will only occur at the "monthly review".

But closing them can happen at any time without the monthly review.

I don't care which its to be but a bit of consistency on the timeframes of these decisions might be appropriate.  If we can review any time them to close the borders then we can review them at any time to open them.   

[Peter 4,056]

This story shows why SA and WA have major issues living the way they have with their freedoms.  

They can't ramp up when something goes wrong like this.

If you don't want to watch, there are cases linked to a school and the people of Adelaide want to do the right thing and get tested but the lines are crazy long, and also no one is wearing a mask in the line.  Simple education and preparation with a response team.  But it's not done.  They have had 6 months to prepare.

 

 

 

[truck 445]

And in Europe where we all know case numbers have rocketed back up the scientists are a bit puzzled.  Apparently the hospitalisation rate has reduced significantly and the recovery rate for those going into hospital has significantly improved (up from 65% to 85%). This is a genuine second wave for them.

 

[roxii 7,063]

40 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

Leading epidemiologist had a good point in today's Australian.  We need to get out of the Hotel quarantine in major cities.  The NT model of the Howard Springs facility would greatly reduce the "leakage" of the virus into  high density cities.

If recent history has shown us anything its not the returning travellers but the staff at these hotels doing the (possibly inadvertent) damage.  Maybe they need to live on site, bit like a FIFO job, pay them extra, I'm sure there would be people willing to take it up. 

[roxii 7,063]

5 minutes ago, truck said:

And in Europe where we all know case numbers have rocketed back up the scientists are a bit puzzled.  Apparently the hospitalisation rate has reduced significantly and the recovery rate for those going into hospital has significantly improved (up from 65% to 85%). This is a genuine second wave for them.

 

The most vulnerable are probably already dead from the first wave. 

[Bored@work 3,989]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

This story shows why SA and WA have major issues living the way they have with their freedoms.  

They can't ramp up when something goes wrong like this.

If you don't want to watch, there are cases linked to a school and the people of Adelaide want to do the right thing and get tested but the lines are crazy long, and also no one is wearing a mask in the line.  Simple education and preparation with a response team.  But it's not done.  They have had 6 months to prepare.

 

 

 

Most of these places are with a 10km radius of my place.......

 

[Peter 4,056]

16 minutes ago, Bored@work said:

Most of these places are with a 10km radius of my place.......

 

Id stop going out for coffee and get coles delivered for a while.

[Cat Lady 813]

4 minutes ago, Peter said:

Id stop going out for coffee and get coles delivered for a while.

or, if one of the many conflicting pieces of medical advice is to be believed, wear a mask

[Peter 4,056]

28 minutes ago, Cat Lady said:

or, if one of the many conflicting pieces of medical advice is to be believed, wear a mask

That's obvious

proven to work in Vic.  (Despite the fact I hate them.)

[Bored@work 3,989]

I don't like people. So I don't go out much. 

I will keep going to the local cafe and just get take away. 

[Ayto 648]

12 minutes ago, Bored@work said:

I don't like people. So I don't go out much. 

 

A fully paid up, card carrying Misanthrope here...........and proud of it!!

[Peter 4,056]

WA Premier forces all West Australians to become vegetarians. 
 

 

[chris 118]

36 minutes ago, Peter said:

WA Premier forces all West Australians to become vegetarians. 
 

 

If it’s was not true it might be funny

[BarryBevan 1,493]

I'd be looking at keeping borders closed

[MissJess 671]

Looks like someone over there got a little slack on regular testing of the people working there...

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-australia-how-adelaides-outbreak-started/news-story/f87552278cfe52282d502ad8979a124f

[Peter 4,056]

15 minutes ago, MissJess said:

Looks like someone over there got a little slack on regular testing of the people working there...

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-australia-how-adelaides-outbreak-started/news-story/f87552278cfe52282d502ad8979a124f

Well we are all learning now. 

Hopefully all state hotel sites are testing people working there several times a week going forward.

Edited November 16 by Peter

[Dalai 428]

7 hours ago, Peter said:

Victoria is 80% normal again.

Took a very early spirited drive with one of the cars (out the door 5:20am) with a few like minded individuals Sunday to Marysville return. Wise choice going that early as it was a clean run outbound.

On the cruise back I passed back through Warburton and the campsite was packed, as was the waterpark next door and all the shops in town. Huge stream of cars and motorbikes still heading out too!

[Peter 4,056]

America is farked. 
 

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/526010-38-percent-of-americans-planning-on-having-thanksgiving-dinner-with-10-or-more

[dazaau 464]

36 minutes ago, Peter said:

America is farked. 
 

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/526010-38-percent-of-americans-planning-on-having-thanksgiving-dinner-with-10-or-more

Surprised it is that low to be honest. 66% are going to tell their relatives to wear masks inside at their private Thanksgiving dinner? I doubt that! 

[-H- 1,204]

23 hours ago, Bored@work said:

Most of these places are with a 10km radius of my place.......

 

Lucky you don't swim any more, anyone who swam at the Aquadome on Saturday has to self-isolate