Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[jakeseven7]

Breaking: Second Sydney student tests positive, another school closed

A second Sydney school has been closed for deep cleaning after a Year 7 student tested positive to COVID-19.

Following the student's confirmed case, Tangara School for Girls was closed.

All staff and students have been instructed to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs.

Sources of the twin school outbreaks have not been identified as community transmission across Sydney spreads.

‘Will not end’: Grim warning for Victoria

A nurse who reportedly worked at Melbourne's quarantine hotels says those in charge of the program were more worried about appeasing guests than infection control.

www.news.com.au

 

[love_the_life]

Apparently no new cases in QLD.

 

[tgh]

Apparently no new cases in QLD.

Sadly (very) it can't last.
The attraction of a clean state with hopelessly pervious borders will facilitate a steady stream of economic refugees seeking a better life.
(where have I heard that before)
I have thought about taking up a collection , may be a few chook raffles…to build a wall , but if a towering Intellect such as the leader of the free world cannot not do it.. I guess I cannot either.

Lucky Taswegians with their own moat…

 

[Pushka]

Well, if Vietnam after 100 days of zero and no deaths suddenly spikes a few hundred cases and 10 deaths in the last week, then moats and walls wont help much. Given that ACT has managed their open border thus far then border closures arent the complete answer.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Well, if Vietnam after 100 days of zero and no deaths suddenly spikes a few hundred cases and 10 deaths in the last week, then moats and walls wont help much. Given that ACT has managed their open border thus far then border closures arent the complete answer.

Not sure that we haven’t just been lucky..... a few things that have helped is our small population and that people have been trying to do the right thing. People coming back from Bateman’s Bay and Victoria were asked to self isolate and they did. The police reported 100% compliance when they checked.

We did close our border with Victoria at the same time as NSW did

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

NSW update

Ten new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed.

One is a returned international traveller. Seven were locally acquired, all close contacts of known cases. Two are under investigation with no known links.

 

[Princess Fiona]

NSW update

Ten new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed.

One is a returned international traveller. Seven were locally acquired, all close contacts of known cases. Two are under investigation with no known links.

A case has been diagnosed in a HCW at Hornsby Hospital Emergency Department.
I would imagine that case is one of the two under investigation.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A case has been diagnosed in a HCW at Hornsby Hospital Emergency Department.
I would imagine that case is one of the two under investigation.

Depends on whether it was confirmed before 8pm yesterday to make the report.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

No leaks today. First time for ages.


394 new cases 17 deaths. Just announced by Dan.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Sadly given that deaths lag cases and as there are so many elderly infected at present the death toll is likely to stay bad for a while yet.

4 days now of lower numbers compared to the peak to date and so hopefully this is a sign that the restrictions are now starting to work better.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

No leaks today. First time for ages.


394 new cases 17 deaths. Just announced by Dan.

Of course there were leaks. Today it appears ABC was first.....news.com.au attributed ABC’s number.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Depends on whether it was confirmed before 8pm yesterday to make the report.

Yes it is included according to the ABC.
This will be interesting to follow as NSW health made it mandatory from Friday 24th July to wear a mask in all healthcare settings when within 1.5m of a patient.
In practical terms this has meant all staff wearing a mask for the duration of their shift.

 

[Pushka]

Yes it is included according to the ABC.
This will be interesting to follow as NSW health made it mandatory from Friday 24th July to wear a mask in all healthcare settings when within 1.5m of a patient.
In practical terms this has meant all staff wearing a mask for the duration of their shift.

And the same has been implemented in Emergency wards in SA Public Hospitals. Staff and arriving patients all have to wear the mask until assessed. Only one visitor per day throughout the hospitals.

 

[jakeseven7]

A case has been diagnosed in a HCW at Hornsby Hospital Emergency Department.
I would imagine that case is one of the two under investigation.

There are also two school cases, with two schools closed and hundreds now isolating as a result.

It was on the news that they think NSW Health has now asked about 20,000 people to isolate in their homes which seems an insane number. Disclaimer, it was Sky News playing in a petrol station

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Yes it is included according to the ABC.
This will be interesting to follow as NSW health made it mandatory from Friday 24th July to wear a mask in all healthcare settings when within 1.5m of a patient.
In practical terms this has meant all staff wearing a mask for the duration of their shift.

Both Hornsby Hospital and Bunnings Campbelltown had masks. Hopefully the masks was sufficient to make it the last generation.

There are also two school cases, with two schools closed and hundreds now isolating as a result.

It was on the news that they think NSW Health has now asked about 20,000 people to isolate in their homes which seems an insane number. Disclaimer, it was Sky News playing in a petrol station

My poor recollection is thinking that the schools are close contacts perhaps.

 

[RooFlyer]

No leaks today. First time for ages.

Leaks? As in bypassing the government control of information? No, when there is bad news to be announced, you get it out sideways so the shock doesn't come from the mouth of the leader in his daily presser. Spin management 101.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Yes it is included according to the ABC.
This will be interesting to follow as NSW health made it mandatory from Friday 24th July to wear a mask in all healthcare settings when within 1.5m of a patient.
In practical terms this has meant all staff wearing a mask for the duration of their shift.

From NSW Health daily media report.....

hope I extracted the correct context

A healthcare worker who has tested positive for COVID-19 worked one shift while infectious at Hornsby Hospital’s emergency department, from 11am to midnight on Thursday 6 August.

The staff member became unwell after their shift and immediately self-isolated and got tested. The staff member had been wearing a mask at all times while in contact with patients.

Staff who have had contact with the healthcare worker have been identified and instructed to self- isolate for 14 days. There is no impact on the services being provided by the emergency department.

Members of the public who attended the emergency department between 11am and midnight on Thursday and who had contact with the healthcare worker are currently being identified and notified.

The healthcare worker is a household contact of another case reported today.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

NSW status report for total community transmission (unknown source) since Crossroads....looks like a net increase today to up to 19 (18 unknown + 1 under investigation). Another report (the ’ageing’ report) hasn’t updated yet today, so best I can say is it’s likely to be over about the last 20 days.

Confirmed cases to date

By likely source of infection	Count
Overseas	2,039
Interstate acquired	84
Locally acquired – contact of a confirmed case and/or in a known cluster	1,169
Locally acquired – contact not identified	379
Under investigation	1
Total	3,672

Counts reported for a particular day may vary over time with ongoing enhanced surveillance activities.

 

[jakeseven7]

Good to see not many nut jobs ventured out to try and protest today. Approximately 20-30 apparently, most fined / arrested. Good.

Heavy police presence thwarts Melbourne anti-mask rally

A heavy police presence thwarted an anti-mask rally in Melbourne, as officers made arrests and issued fines to a few dozen would-be protesters.


A planned anti-mask rally in Melbourne in defiance of strict stage four lockdown laws fizzled out after only a few dozen people attended and were pounced on by waiting police.

Up to 400 people were expected to gather on the steps of Parliament House on Sunday for an event billed as “Freedom Day Celebration”, with the conspiracy-theorist organisers reportedly believing coronavirus is a “biochemical” weapon and opposing masks, vaccinations and business shutdowns.

Melbourne anti-mask rally scuppered

A planned anti-mask rally in Melbourne in defiance of strict stage four lockdown laws fizzled out after only a few dozen people attended and were pounced on by waiting police.

www.news.com.au

 

[ayebee]

I did read an article in the Bendigo Advertiser, that when contract tracing had been taken over by the local health provider (Bendigo Health), it was working much better and quicker than DHHS central tracing. I wonder, if like fighting bushfires, there's a need for much more in community support, not only to help with the work such as contract tracing and verifying compliance with , but better connect with people and better influence behaviours.

That aside, genuine question, I've read again and again that contact tracing is a specialised skill, that needs to be done by trained health officials. What are the specific skills that it involves beyond getting people to account for their every movement, locations visited and personal interactions over the days before they tested positive? I assume it takes some form of investigative skill.

Also interested in just how contact tracing is done.
I heard that folks from Qantas and Virgin call centres were involved. I am guessing they have the skills in making calls to check on people and gather data maybe via phone interviews, rather than the analysis.
I am interested in the tools and techniques to support the investigative skills.
I am hoping it is not just paper and inspired cross referencing.