Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[HappyFlyerFamily]

7 News had two Professors speaking. One said the lockdown was essential and absolutely the right thing to do. The other said the lockdown was unnecessary.

What's the government supposed to do? These are both supposedly professionals at the top of their field and they have wildly different views.

The Chamber of Commerce or whatever is saying we can't these lockdowns going forward and we 'need to sort this out once and for all'. But they offer no solution.

I think in the article below the Chamber of Commerce does offer a solution - its saying do the fundamentals (ie tracing, quarantine, isolating contacts) right and don’t resort to locking down an entire State.

Fury as Victoria enters five-day snap lockdown

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' announcement that his state will enter a third lockdown at 11:59pm tonight to avoid “potentially devastating” circumstances has been met with outrage by businesses and residents alike.

www.news.com.au

“We can’t go on managing the country like this. This is the second lockdown caused by Victoria’s hotel quarantine system, it must not be as long and destructive as the last. We must get hotel quarantine working properly,” she said.


“Even a very short lockdown will have monumental social and economic costs.”

Ms Westacott said the lockdown will force small businesses to make “decisions about whether to lay-off staff or destroy inventory” and airlines to cancel “thousands of flights and shifts”.

“New outbreaks shouldn’t be a surprise – this is a highly contagious virus, but we know now that we have to live alongside it,” she added.

“New and more contagious strains make getting contact tracing, hotel quarantine and local management right even more important, they are not an excuse for throwing an entire state into hardship … The Victorian Government must now explain why this step is necessary and exactly how this will work for each and every business across the state.”

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Any news on new positives in Victoria today? Yesterday there was drip feeding of new positive cases, today do we have to wait until tomorrow morning's official release?

It will be the magic of the circuit breaker lockdown - no more cases, except for household contacts of existing cases.

Vic Gov DH twitter will be your friend for new case information

 

[dajop]

“We can’t go on managing the country like this. This is the second lockdown caused by Victoria’s hotel quarantine system, it must not be as long and destructive as the last. We must get hotel quarantine working properly,” she said.

My view and experience with HQ is that there are way way too many people involved in it. Each one of them represents a risk that can carry it in the community.

For a start instead of having security on each floor, have regular phone check-ins with inmates guests, rig up cameras everywhere so that each door is fully covered., and have someone monitor them and review footage. Lock off the lifts to the floor, and base guards at the emergency exit doors. And if someone leaves their room, at all, an automatic fine and extension of HQ by 2 weeks from the time they left their room.

And why are we having a debate about using N95 masks in HQ? Isn't it that properly fitted N95 masks are better at protecting the wearer than surgical masks? In my international flights during this pandemic, I wasn't comfortable with just a surgical mask - and used N95 (door to door - about 11 hrs) plus wrap around cycling glasses (for the flight) / Why is this still a debate? And let's not mention those HQ security guards that are only protecting their chin with their mask (seen it with my own eyes - in NSW not Vic though).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

“New outbreaks shouldn’t be a surprise – this is a highly contagious virus, but we know now that we have to live alongside it,” she added.

That's right. Once we have a vaccine we may be willing to accept the risk. And that's six weeks or so away.

I don't understand how a close contact of a quarantine worker is allowed to work somewhere like a busy airport terminal? I'm making the assumption that close contacts of quarantine workers are not allowed to work in aged care or any vulnerable public health setting?

 

[hydrabyss]

Yes. On the Victorian side. It’s a difficult one although even though it’s an SA decision the congestion on the Victorian side should require attention by Victorian Police but given Victoria’s border was open at the time it’s likely they did not have the manpower right there on such short notice.

You would think this issue has been raised on previous border closures and what is required to manage traffic build ups.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

That's right. Once we have a vaccine we may be willing to accept the risk. And that's six weeks or so away.

I don't understand how a close contact of a quarantine worker is allowed to work somewhere like a busy airport terminal? I'm making the assumption that close contacts of quarantine workers are not allowed to work in aged care or any vulnerable public health setting?

It seems you have an apparent bias against the Chamber of Commerce since you seem to take their comments out of context.

I’ve not heard any limitations on households not being able to have one working in quarantine and another in aged care, not quarantine or other busy places (airport, may be you want to add bus drivers, train stations, shopping centers). So clearly in your world a police officer and nurse can’t live together or share accommodation.

 

[nutwood]

My view and experience with HQ is that there are way way too many people involved in it. Each one of them represents a risk that can carry it in the community.

For a start instead of having security on each floor, have regular phone check-ins with inmates guests, rig up cameras everywhere so that each door is fully covered., and have someone monitor them and review footage. Lock off the lifts to the floor, and base guards at the emergency exit doors. And if someone leaves their room, at all, an automatic fine and extension of HQ by 2 weeks from the time they left their room.

And why are we having a debate about using N95 masks in HQ? Isn't it that properly fitted N95 masks are better at protecting the wearer than surgical masks? In my international flights during this pandemic, I wasn't comfortable with just a surgical mask - and used N95 (door to door - about 11 hrs) plus wrap around cycling glasses (for the flight) / Why is this still a debate? And let's not mention those HQ security guards that are only protecting their chin with their mask (seen it with my own eyes - in NSW not Vic though).

It's difficult to see why N95 masks aren't the standard. The basic surgical mask may prevent you spreading the virus but I'm not so sure about protecting you. Realistically, if the mask is fogging your glasses, it's not doing much to help you.

 

[Pushka]

You would think this issue has been raised on previous border closures and what is required to manage traffic build ups.

Yes, but not on an extremely tight time line and in the country. Vic police had very little notice and SAPOL can't go into Victoria. Heck, it would actually require two states to properly communicate with each other!

 

[Must...Fly!]

It wouldn't be like the Victorian Premier, ministers and cabinet to be caught out in a bare faced lie. Would it?

A returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus through the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel by using a nebuliser says he was twice given permission from Victorian health authorities to use the medical device while in quarantine.

Speaking to The Age from his bed in a Melbourne intensive care ward, the 38-year-old Victorian man said he declared his nebuliser to hotel quarantine staff, who also offered to source more Ventolin, the medication administered by the machine.

‘I feel like a criminal’: Traveller says he told authorities about nebuliser

A returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus through the Holiday Inn says he was repeatedly given permission to use the medical device.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Hvr]

SAPOL can't go into Victoria.

I wonder what the actual arrangement is, I know when I lived Queanbeyan the local NSW police were sworn as 'special constables' in the ACT and vice versa. I believe a similar arrangement is in place in Albury/Wodonga.

I would be surprised if there wasn't something similar along the SA?VIC border.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It wouldn't be like the Victorian Premier, ministers and cabinet to be caught out in a bare faced lie. Would it?

‘I feel like a criminal’: Traveller says he told authorities about nebuliser

A returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus through the Holiday Inn says he was repeatedly given permission to use the medical device.

www.theage.com.au

And one of the biggest revelations is towards the end of the article.

The individual claims to have become symptomatic on day six, requested a test but was refused. He and the family tested positive on day eleven.

This absolutely beggars belief if true.

 

[JessicaTam]

I wonder what the actual arrangement is, I know when I lived Queanbeyan the local NSW police were sworn as 'special constables' in the ACT and vice versa. I believe a similar arrangement is in place in Albury/Wodonga.

I would be surprised if there wasn't something similar along the SA?VIC border.

Yep, it is quite common for border based police to be able to carry out their duties on both sides.

 

[Pushka]

I wonder what the actual arrangement is, I know when I lived Queanbeyan the local NSW police were sworn as 'special constables' in the ACT and vice versa. I believe a similar arrangement is in place in Albury/Wodonga.

I would be surprised if there wasn't something similar along the SA?VIC border.

Those places are rather unique though. I did hear there were only three SA police manning to border but don’t know if true, plus long delays. It does beg the question. But currently Australia is not exactly operating as I would have expected Australia to operate. Who could ever have imagine the chaos at borders we now have.

 

[dajop]

It wouldn't be like the Victorian Premier, ministers and cabinet to be caught out in a bare faced lie. Would it?

‘I feel like a criminal’: Traveller says he told authorities about nebuliser

A returned traveller blamed for spreading coronavirus through the Holiday Inn says he was repeatedly given permission to use the medical device.

www.theage.com.au

It might be a mistake to assume the sin of the government is one of lying. An equally likely - in perhaps even more likely - sin (and TBH a much bigger problem) is a poisonous culture where bureaucratics are very cautious with the truth for fear of incurring the wrath the Premier.

 

[kpc]

And one of the biggest revelations is towards the end of the article.

The individual claims to have become symptomatic on day six, requested a test but was refused. He and the family tested positive on day eleven.

This absolutely beggars belief if true.

Sound like DA and his health officials are telling porkies to the public!!

 

[nutwood]

I wonder what the actual arrangement is, I know when I lived Queanbeyan the local NSW police were sworn as 'special constables' in the ACT and vice versa. I believe a similar arrangement is in place in Albury/Wodonga.

I would be surprised if there wasn't something similar along the SA?VIC border.

Prepare to be surprised...

 

[Must...Fly!]

The Age has more.

Victoria’s public health team is under pressure to explain why contact tracers took too long to get in touch with people exposed to coronavirus after health officials privately conceded delays in the system during a meeting with other states.

...

According to three sources familiar with the meeting, Victorian health officials were challenged on contact-tracing data submitted to the Health Department during the week. Speaking on the condition on anonymity, those sources said that when presented with the data the Victorian health officials conceded the tracers had slipped below their own benchmark.

It showed 8.9 per cent of close contacts were not contacted within 48 hours on Monday, and by Tuesday that number had risen to 43.7 per cent before dramatically falling later in the week.

Contact tracing faltered as ‘hyper-infectious’ COVID strain pushes state into lockdown

Victoria’s public health team is under pressure to explain why contact tracers took too long to get in touch with people exposed to the rampant British variant.

www.theage.com.au

This is an absolute sh** show.

 

[jakeseven7]

I don't understand how a close contact of a quarantine worker is allowed to work somewhere like a busy airport terminal?

What an amazing suggestion....what really should happen is that all close contacts of all quarantine workers should be forced to work only in places where they are completely segregated from the broader community period, not just ‘somewhere like a busy airport terminal’. They should not be interacting with humans period to make a living.

I also think to be super safe they should be also outright banned from seeing anyone over the age of say 40/50? Forget seeing their parents/ grandparents obviously (goes without saying).

 

[jase05]

HS saying that a second Melbourne Airport staffer worked whilst positive.

 

[jakeseven7]

HS saying that a second Melbourne Airport staffer worked whilst positive.

Also reporting Nicole Kidman pregnant again!