Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Seat0B]

My commiserations.

As I have mentioned before the pandemic has affected people in many different ways and especially financially. Some have made more money than ever, some about the same and some a great deal less. And other have had negative issues to do with say health/mental health issues, as well as social disruption of weddings/funerals/family etc.

With my small business I have had to wipe out a full year's worth of income with not one project delivered in 2020, and so I share your pain. As have many others like say Pushka who has also mentioned how her business has been devastated.

I am just back from actually delivering a project in Qld , my first completed project since late 2019. It was nice to actually be working properly again and it also had the side-benefit that I avoided the lockdown in Vic plus delivery the project meant that I avoided going into liquidation which has been a daily worry since at least before last June. Starting each day and having to assess is today the day I go into liquidation, or not, is not good for one's stress levels, but is certainly a key reason why I have monitored things as closely as I have done so. This week is the first time in nine months that I do not have the Liquidation Monkey on my back.

However the outlook remains grim for 2021, as it does for many who are in the wrong sector. To operate is a huge financial risk at present for myself as it could mean taking on costs that may never be recouped, and as a director of a company I cannot do so. And there are only so many ways to juggle things if the cash is not coming.

However luckily I am 60 with no debts, good assets tucked away and so that means I am better off than many even though 2020 was a annus horribilis for me. I may well just retire soon now instead.

I'm in a very similar position @lovetravellingoz, so I really empathise with you and also with @Lynda2475 . @Pushka and I have already traded stories. I'm so glad you managed to get a project delivered, and lift the stresses you have been feeling. You are not alone, but I know that does not necessarily make you feel any better

I deliver vocational education training courses to mainly government clients, and in 2020, I only delivered 3 days of training, in late February, before the cancellations started to roll in. The training I deliver is not suited to on-line learning, and many of may clients are interstate, so border closures and more particularly, the sudden unexpected closures, have been a very big issue. My clients are really reluctant to take the chance of booking something, because so far every time they have even thought about it, there has been a short notice border closure that would leave me or participants or both stranded away or unable to make the training in the first place.

So far for 2021, I have 1 single day booked, upcoming in March for a trial of on-line delivery. All my clients have advised that they have no plans for face to face delivery for the whole of 2021.

As I work in a very specialised area, I am usually fully booked for 12 weeks out, and at least partially booked for the next 12 weeks after that. So at this time of the year, I would normally be taking bookings for August. Instead, all I hear is crickets. Although that is better than last year, when all I heard was substantial contracts being cancelled. It has been financially stressful. Fortunately, my husband managed to secure an advisory contract for 3 days a week for a while, and I also managed an advisory contract for about 8-10 hours a week for May-August last year - but that's the last work I did. Like you, I am also 60, and have been virtually forced into retirement, which was not at all my plan.

Plus, I have not been able to visit family in Qld especially my 90 year old father-in law who was widowed just before Christmas 2019. Saw him in January 2020, trip overseas in February 2020, up to Qld for the sad task of clearing out the house in early March and now nothing since. All other trips we planned were cancelled due to border closures. We have a birthday trip planned in March 2021, so fingers crossed on that. Also, my son lives overseas and it is now well over a year since I saw him, and who know when I will be able to see him again. He was hoping to take advantage of his ability, as an Aus citizen resident overseas, to return home for a visit and then go back to his overseas location after seeing family, as so many others on this forum have done. But he has not had any luck getting air tickets in the three opportunities he has had to take time off work, and with the arrivals caps and lockdowns, seems unlikely that he will any time soon.

I am really over it all, and frankly, 2021 does not look a whole lot better for me and how I want to live my life.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'm in a very similar position @lovetravellingoz, so I really empathise with you and also with @Lynda2475 . @Pushka and I have already traded stories. I'm so glad you managed to get a project delivered, and lift the stresses you have been feeling. You are not alone, but I know that does not necessarily make you feel any better

I deliver vocational education training courses to mainly government clients, and in 2020, I only delivered 3 days of training, in late February, before the cancellations started to roll in. The training I deliver is not suited to on-line learning, and many of may clients are interstate, so border closures and more particularly, the sudden unexpected closures, have been a very big issue. My clients are really reluctant to take the chance of booking something, because so far every time they have even thought about it, there has been a short notice border closure that would leave me or participants or both stranded away or unable to make the training in the first place.

So far for 2021, I have 1 single day booked, upcoming in March for a trial of on-line delivery. All my clients have advised that they have no plans for face to face delivery for the whole of 2021.

As I work in a very specialised area, I am usually fully booked for 12 weeks out, and at least partially booked for the next 12 weeks after that. So at this time of the year, I would normally be taking bookings for August. Instead, all I hear is crickets. Although that is better than last year, when all I heard was substantial contracts being cancelled. It has been financially stressful. Fortunately, my husband managed to secure an advisory contract for 3 days a week for a while, and I also managed an advisory contract for about 8-10 hours a week for May-August last year - but that's the last work I did. Like you, I am also 60, and have been virtually forced into retirement, which was not at all my plan.

Plus, I have not been able to visit family in Qld especially my 90 year old father-in law who was widowed just before Christmas 2019. Saw him in January 2020, trip overseas in February 2020, up to Qld for the sad task of clearing out the house in early March and now nothing since. All other trips we planned were cancelled due to border closures. We have a birthday trip planned in March 2021, so fingers crossed on that. Also, my son lives overseas and it is now well over a year since I saw him, and who know when I will be able to see him again. He was hoping to take advantage of his ability, as an Aus citizen resident overseas, to return home for a visit and then go back to his overseas location after seeing family, as so many others on this forum have done. But he has not had any luck getting air tickets in the three opportunities he has had to take time off work, and with the arrivals caps and lockdowns, seems unlikely that he will any time soon.

I am really over it all, and frankly, 2021 does not look a whole lot better for me and how I want to live my life.

We have much in common unfortunately.

Our Qld trip did mean that we could catch up with some relatives that we had not seen since 2019. One was my wife's 95 old aunt who was in palliative care. As her cousin had said her time was very near we went straight there the first day after we landed and my wife had a good day catching up with her favourite aunt who passed 10 day's later.

We also caught up with my niece and two grand nephews for a couple of days and that was good.

It was also pleasing that I brought work to a lot of Queenslanders while I was there, back doing what they prefer to be doing, rather than just doing anything they could find, like one lady who had only been able to find odd hours at Seaworld. While I only helped them over a short period they were genuinely happy and beaming to be back doing what they preferred to be doing. The last time most of them had been able to do that in Qld was March 2020.

 

[SydneySwan]

Albury and Wodonga have been divided in half by one government or the other since the middle of 2020. Neither side has had any particular incidence of covid. Albury has been largely lockdown free, and had the minimal NSW rules. Wodonga has suffered through a number of lockdowns, and there have been so many variations on the restrictions that nobody has any idea of what they currently are.

Businesses on both sides of the border have been devastated. As soon as one state finishes having its ‘go’, the other mob get in with their own restrictions, so there is no recovery. Albury has learnt that 60% of it’s business comes from south of the border, with a catchment that extends well south. This was not helped by the utterly thoughtless location of the Victorian border checkpoints, which closed off access to open businesses, even thought there were kms of open space they could have used. No compensation for them, of course.

Mrs SS and I will be in Albury for a day this coming week as part of our one week tour of southern NSW to give a little bit of money to the regional NSW economy.

 

[Lynda2475]

Seems very very wrong that Vic are getting more doses than NSW especially since NSW has a population 20% larger, and NSW is actually taking overseas arrivals unlike Vic.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

“Pfizer has already delivered more than 80 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to 60 countries in the Middle East, UK, Latin America, North America and Asia and is on track to deliver 20 million doses to Australia over the course of 2021 to vaccinate 10 million citizens,” Mr Harris’ statement said.

Note Anne Harris is the Managing Director of Pfizer Australia/New Zealand.

Coronavirus updates LIVE: Australia’s first doses of the Pfizer vaccine administered; Victoria records no new COVID-19 cases as $143 million support package announced for businesses impacted by recent lockdown

Australia’s rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine will begin on Monday, with the country going 24 hours without a case of community transmission on Saturday.

www.smh.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[jakeseven7]

Hear hear, can someone make sure the state premiers are aware of this....

4-6 weeks apparently no more ridiculous border games as the most at risk that need protection will be vaccinated....


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‘Big game-changer’: Border closures a thing of the past to curb virus spread​

State border closures and interstate quarantine regimes could be things of the past within weeks as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins to protect the country’s most vulnerable.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the rollout of the vaccine would “massively change” the way that state managed lockdowns and border closures.

Dr Young said once all people within phase 1a had received vaccines, which is expected to take four to six weeks in Queensland, the need for border closures would be removed.

Mr Morrison agreed vaccinating the high-risk groups first would remove the need for state border closures or lockdowns in the near future.

“This changes how we manage the risk of COVID going forward. This today is the beginning of a big game-changer,” he said.

“Its successful rollout will only further reduce the risk, and when you reduce the risk, then obviously you do not need more blunt and extreme measures anymore in order to deal with COVID.”

Coronavirus updates LIVE: COVID vaccine rollout begins throughout Australia as Scott Morrison, CMO Paul Kelly receive shot

The vaccine will be start being given to high-risk Australians and essential workers from today throughout the country.

www.theage.com.au

 

[drron]

So can someone divert some more vaccine to WA so that they will be open to us in April.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Two 'indeterminate' test results from Victorian hotel quarantine workers​

The heath department has seen two “indeterminate results” from two hotel quarantine workers over last 24 hours, one at the Novotel and one at the Pullman.

Those initial saliva tests were followed up with PCR tests and extra caution was taken around those work places.


But those PCR tests were “well and truly negative”, Mr Foley said.

He said this goes to show how “risk averse” the testing system is.

Health authorities are still testing primary close contacts in the Holiday Inn cluster.

11 of the 25 people linked to Brunetti’s workplace have tested negative on Day 11, more results expected today.

All primary close contacts associated with Glenroy kinder have tested negative for Day 11, other learning centre starts Day 11 tests tomorrow. Other sites, like Ballarat school and Queen Vic Market, start Day 11 tests today.

All other people associated with the Sydney Road private gathering have also all tested negative on their Day 11 tests.

 

[zenyattamondatta]

View attachment 241945

“Optimist only sees doughnut. Pessimist sees hole.”
Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)

 

[jakeseven7]

Air NZ will begin trialling the 'health passport' designed to stop virus spread in April on trans tasman flights.

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Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel​

Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system for travellers to prove they have been immunised against COVID-19.

The Kiwi airline said on Monday it will test the industry-developed Travel Pass app on Auckland-Sydney flights for three weeks in April, presenting a glimpse of what international travel will look like until the coronavirus is no longer a threat.

Travel industry leaders expect COVID-19 immunisation will become mandatory for international flights once vaccines have been widely distributed. Incoming travellers to Australia already have to provide evidence they tested negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure.

Air New Zealand will be one of the first airlines to use the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass app, which passengers link to their e-passport and will carry verified copies of test results and - in the future - vaccination records.

Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel

Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

Sounds good but doubtful many aussies will have been vaccinated by April unless in 1a - how many of them will be travelling?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Air NZ will begin trialling the 'health passport' designed to stop virus spread in April on trans tasman flights.

-----

Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel​

Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system for travellers to prove they have been immunised against COVID-19.

The Kiwi airline said on Monday it will test the industry-developed Travel Pass app on Auckland-Sydney flights for three weeks in April, presenting a glimpse of what international travel will look like until the coronavirus is no longer a threat.

Travel industry leaders expect COVID-19 immunisation will become mandatory for international flights once vaccines have been widely distributed. Incoming travellers to Australia already have to provide evidence they tested negative to COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure.

Air New Zealand will be one of the first airlines to use the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Travel Pass app, which passengers link to their e-passport and will carry verified copies of test results and - in the future - vaccination records.

Air NZ trials ‘vaccine passport’, a glimpse of post-COVID travel

Air New Zealand will ask passengers to use a digital health pass on flights to Australia in a trial run of a “vaccine passport” system.

www.theage.com.au

Passport is perhaps a misleading term though as it more a "vaccine plane permit" if only issued by individual airlines.

It matters much more what the various international governments, including Australia do/require, as it is they that control the international borders and whether quarantine is or isn't required. Each airline can control who gets on their planes, but not who countries will actually let in.

But I do understand that they are trying to get the government/s jumping on board with it as all the airlines are in desperate straights.

 

[clifford]

Sounds good but doubtful many aussies will have been vaccinated by April unless in 1a - how many of them will be travelling?

Yes, I think you're absolutely right there, Lynda2475. I wonder if jakeseven7 has considered whether all vaccines will be seen as equal (eg the Sino and other unmentioned ones), and if so, wouldn't that be a possibly be introducing a bit of an unknownn risk into the proceedings?

 

[Lynda2475]

If NZ decide to finally recipricate on allowing quarantine free travel from Australia into NZ contingent on having had the required doses of a vaccine, im pretty sure the approved vaccines will be limited to those approved for safe use in both Australia and NZ.

I would hope that when more travel bubbles are added (and we have adequate proof that vaccines stop spread and not just prevent serious disease) that the allowed vaccines are only those approved/endorsed by the TGA (I would expect over time to see Novovax and Moderna added to that list in not too distant future).

Also I would assume the eectronic vax certificate would need to be government issued not airline issued.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[Pushka]

View attachment 242027

Do you know how many days to go until everyone in isolation have to wait now?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Do you know how many days to go until everyone in isolation have to wait now?

The last Tier 1 exposures sites were on 11th Feb. So presumably 25 Feb for those people..

Tier 1 exposure sites​

Anyone who has visited these Tier 1 exposure sites during these times must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.​

However the last positive test results were reported on 19th Feb (swabbed on 18th). So 14 days from that. Perhaps longer if they wish to be cautious due the type of strain.

All the latter cases were isolating when they were tested.

 

[Pushka]

The last Tier 1 exposures sites were on 11th Feb. So presumably 25 Feb for those people..

​

Tier 1 exposure sites​

Anyone who has visited these Tier 1 exposure sites during these times must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.​

However the last positive test results were reported on 19th Feb (swabbed on 18th). So 14 days from that. Perhaps longer if they wish to be cautious due the type of strain.

All the latter cases were isolating when they were tested.

That makes sense. SA Health meeting today and said earlier the 25th is important and they are only concerned about mystery cases and not those positives that had already been put into isolation prior.

 

[jakeseven7]

That makes sense. SA Health meeting today and said earlier the 25th is important and they are only concerned about mystery cases and not those positives that had already been put into isolation prior.

Has been zero mystery cases in VIC since Blackrock cluster ages ago (which was genomically linked to the Sydney outbreak).

Yet another reason why there shouldn't be any border restrictions, anywhere right now.... but you know, logic and the state premiers can't be used in the same sentence.... sigh....