Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

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Well you can go to a park packed shoulder to shoulder with people. And plenty are. So perhaps it’s time to revisit the restrictions. I consider sitting in a restaurant, socially distanced tables with QR Code checkin to be far safer than going to Sydney Park at the moment.

6 weeks into this “outbreak”; One single unavoidable death (assuming the person in question was ineligible for a vaccine). Curve is well and truly flat. Hospital system is not overrun. But what have the other costs been?

This was posted earlier today:

Hopefully this counter-balances the open at 50% one-dose theory...courtesy ABC live blog

COVID outbreak takes its toll on Sydney hospital staff, says association​


The Nurses and Midwives Association says a coronavirus outbreak at Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west has taken a huge toll on medical staff.

Dozens of staff members from Westmead Hospital have been forced into isolation after a fellow staff member worked three shifts last week while infectious with coronavirus.

There were 207 local cases yesterday, with 54 people in intensive care across Sydney's hospital system.

Association General Secretary Brett Holmes says intensive care nurses are ready to walk out.

"We know that our Westmead ICU has been operating frequently with fifteen staff shortage on a shift and we now understand that they have been hit by a COVID exposure this week which has led to up to twenty nurses and ten doctors who are currently in isolation."

If not 'overrun' the staff are pretty stretched to the limit.
 
Some interesting insights from the Guardian data team about the Sydney outbreak

Fairfield LGAs - cases reducing. Other LGAs of concern - cases increasing. Outside LGAs of concern - smaller number, but cases increasing. Overall 7 day trend increasing.

 
I consider sitting in a restaurant, socially distanced tables with QR Code checkin to be far safer than going to Sydney Park at the moment.

Outside the 8 LGAs of concern it should be fine to go back to outdoor dining and 4sqm indoor rule come 28th August for any LGA with fewer than 5 active cases (which is vast majority of the state), especially so for the fully vaccinated.

I still consider park to be safer, I have a choice of 5 different parks within 5 mins walk of my door (one being the Bay Run which itself has multiple more parks on the 7km loop) and cant say Ive found them particularly crowded at all. Bay Run traffic is no worse than pre-covid, at least not at the times I use it. The park in my street was completely empty when I went for a walk today.

Indoor mask wearing costs nothing so it can stay and should also be mandated for all students in all grades from K-12, since they physical distance much much less than adults.

6 weeks into this “outbreak”; One single unavoidable death (assuming the person in question was ineligible for a vaccine). Curve is well and truly flat. Hospital system is not overrun. But what have the other costs been?

The non-covid related health costs have been (and will continue to be) huge in terms of mental health, missed routine health appointments and cancelled elective surgeries. I am desperate for the physio to reopen, video consults can not replace hands on manipulation. The actions to protect us from Covid health risks has created other health issues and that is before you consider the economic costs and the tax burden being placed on the under 50s for decades to come.

I think it is pathetic that as a fully vaccinated person I can not visit my fully vaccinated parents. My Mums early dementure has worsened due to lack of interaction with anyone other than my Dad for past 6 weeks. The people who have been doing the wrong thing and thereby extending this current outbreak are robbing me of very valuable time with her, so I have no issue with reporting the rule breakers to crime stoppers (or store management) and continuing to have stricter limits on the areas of concern until they reduce their numbers to more manageable levels.


Outside LGAs of concern - smaller number, but cases increasing.

Not everywhere, mostly in the west and south which border the 8 LGAs of concern. Dr Chant called out today that too many people from the 8 LGAs of concern have been shopping in neighbouring unrestricted LGAs because they are within 5km even though not allowed, more policing of the LGA outer boundaries is needed.

The good news is that there are 6 LGAs with no change and 9 (8 outside areas of concern plus Fairfield) where cases are reducing.

The assertion that NSW's lower % of positive is a result of less-targeted testing is odd, given in additon to the HQ and Health worker surveillance testing (done in many states), NSW is the only state doing targeted 3 day essential worker testing to leave restricted LGAs.

A friend who works in an essential industry inside a restricted LGA (who lives outside it) gets tested twice a week at her work place, her employer has enured private pathology are onsite for 4 shifts a week (two monring, two afternoon) to ensure all workers which includes a large number of drivers are tested per the 3 day regime.
 
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Some interesting insights from the Guardian data team about the Sydney outbreak

Fairfield LGAs - cases reducing. Other LGAs of concern - cases increasing. Outside LGAs of concern - smaller number, but cases increasing. Overall 7 day trend increasing.

This would be a logical outcome from a situation where the population in general are not on board but heavy handed tactics have been employed in one area.
 
This would be a logical outcome from a situation where the population in general are not on board but heavy handed tactics have been employed in one area.

That is an unfair assertion to place on Sydney as a whole. The vast majority of people have been complying. Mobility data shows movements in Sydney during this lockdown were reduced to same levels as Melbournes during their latest lockdown.

What you call "heavy handed" tactics are in play in 8 LGAs, needed because those areas have had the worst compliance. The case location numbers show you cant lump all of Sydney into the non-compliance bucket.
 
I think it is pathetic that as a fully vaccinated person I can not visit my fully vaccinated parents.

I agree with that.

And it's about time the media started to hold governments much more accountable on that issue.

It's all very well to keep on and on about the need to vaccinate. But it's really about time to start to allow vaccination benefits for those who actually are vaccinated.

Which should further encourage the rest of the population to get vaccinated, if they can.

Is there a medical reason why it can't be done? (I'm really not sure - perhaps there is).
 
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Is there a medical reason why it can't be done?

Maybe for households where a member is working outside the home in higher risk environment, but certainly not for a 2 household bubble where no one in either household is working outside the home and all are fully vaccinated. It is just cruel.
 
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My Mums early dementure has worsened due to lack of interaction with anyone other than my Dad for past 6 weeks
Sorry for your circumstances but I would personally regard this as care or caregiving and go and visit.

I certainly agree you should be able to go given all fully vaccinated
 
Supermarket transmission is an interesting one and was good to hear it addressed in press conference this morning.

I ended up with a casual contact warning as a result of a Coles worker being infectious on a single shift of 5 hours. It pays to keep an eye on your supermarket’s updates as they are quicker than NSW Health. Quick test (2 streets from home), isolate and results within 6-7 hours.
 
This again goes to the issue of what we’re trying to achieve. We now have 18 months of evidence to show that supermarkets are not a location where there is an issue with virus spread.

Chant addressed this in the NSW presser.
They have had multiple transmissions in supermarket settings.

Mostly staff-staff, but they have had some staff-customer, and customer staff transmissions.

For people doing the right thing, but come down with Covid anyway, many will have supermarket on their check-in list, so it's no surprise to see a number of 5-20min exposures on the various lists.
 
Chant addressed this in the NSW presser.
They have had multiple transmissions in supermarket settings.

Mostly staff-staff, but they have had some staff-customer, and customer staff transmissions.

For people doing the right thing, but come down with Covid anyway, many will have supermarket on their check-in list, so it's no surprise to see a number of 5-20min exposures on the various lists.
The Australian response to this would seem to me to be closing all supermarkets.
 
NSW Health seem to have had a burst of activity on exposure sites...seems like 180+ were added today. It's so many they haven't been able to do their usual tweet that also lists updates...looks like it was too big for a tweet.
 
If not 'overrun' the staff are pretty stretched to the limit.

I’m not sure if you have any experience in public health or not. We have just over 200 people in hospital (many of whom are there for isolation). This does not even come close to “stretched to the limit”.
 
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I’m not sure if you have any experience in public health or not. We have just over 200 people in hospital (many of whom are there for isolation). This does not even come close to “stretched to the limit”.
Wrong sorry.
Everyone admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in NSW public hospitals is admitted because they are too sick to be managed by Public Health or outreach hospital in the home.
Covid positive persons who can’t isolate go to the Special Health Hotels and are not included in the hospital rates.
 
Wrong sorry.
Everyone admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in NSW public hospitals is admitted because they are too sick to be managed by Public Health or outreach hospital in the home.
Covid positive persons who can’t isolate go to the Special Health Hotels and are not included in the hospital rates.

No. Not wrong, sorry. Numerous vaccinated and asymptomatic nursing home patients have been admitted to hospital in NSW to remove them from their aged care facilities.
 
I’m not sure if you have any experience in public health or not. We have just over 200 people in hospital (many of whom are there for isolation). This does not even come close to “stretched to the limit”.

Staff shortages - for example due to isolation requirements - is separate from the physical capacity or number of beds a hospital might have. No good having a 500 bed facility if you are left with two staff to run it.
 
Staff shortages - for example due to isolation requirements - is separate from the physical capacity or number of beds a hospital might have. No good having a 500 bed facility if you are left with two staff to run it.

There is more than enough capacity to cover this many times over.
 
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