Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[Lynda2475]

There was a lot of commentary here about ACT residents being 100% compliant with self iso rules when complaining about NSW border closure, but News.com.au are reporting today that :

Two men have been fined by ACT Police after it was discovered they weren’t at home while they were supposed to be in quarantine over the weekend.
Police checked on one man about 1.45pm on Saturday and found he wasn’t at his home. The man, who was supposed to be in quarantine, later arrived back at his house while police were there and was fined $1000.
Police conducted another check on a man who hadn’t responded to an ACT Health quarantine survey questionnaire for two days.
When police went to the man’s home about 7.30pm on Saturday night, he wasn’t home, ACT Police said.
When he later arrived home, police allege he “did not cooperatively provide details about why he had left quarantine”. He was also fined $1000.

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2020

NSW imposing further restrictions on schools in light of recent outbreaks in a number of high schools. News.com.au reports:

School-related “social activities”, including inter-school sport, will not be allowed for at least the next six weeks to prevent or minimise “any mixing of students from schools in different regions”.

“We’re having a particular focus on stopping singing or chanting activities or the use of wind instruments in groups and that is because we have increasingly become aware around the way that droplets and aerosols can be generated by those activities,” Dr Chant said this morning.

“Also school-related social activities, school formals, dinners and dances and graduation ceremonies or parent engagement functions should cease and also school-related overnight events such as retreats, camps, excursions as there is obviously an increased risk of transmission in these residential-type exposures that are a consequence of those activities.”

 

[jakeseven7]

There was a lot of commentary here about ACT residents being 100% compliant with self iso rules when complaining about NSW border closure, but News.com.au are reporting today that :

Two men have been fined by ACT Police after it was discovered they weren’t at home while they were supposed to be in quarantine over the weekend.
Police checked on one man about 1.45pm on Saturday and found he wasn’t at his home. The man, who was supposed to be in quarantine, later arrived back at his house while police were there and was fined $1000.
Police conducted another check on a man who hadn’t responded to an ACT Health quarantine survey questionnaire for two days.
When police went to the man’s home about 7.30pm on Saturday night, he wasn’t home, ACT Police said.
When he later arrived home, police allege he “did not cooperatively provide details about why he had left quarantine”. He was also fined $1000.

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2020

NSW imposing further restrictions on schools in light of recent outbreaks in a number of high schools. News.com.au reports:

School-related “social activities”, including inter-school sport, will not be allowed for at least the next six weeks to prevent or minimise “any mixing of students from schools in different regions”.

“We’re having a particular focus on stopping singing or chanting activities or the use of wind instruments in groups and that is because we have increasingly become aware around the way that droplets and aerosols can be generated by those activities,” Dr Chant said this morning.

“Also school-related social activities, school formals, dinners and dances and graduation ceremonies or parent engagement functions should cease and also school-related overnight events such as retreats, camps, excursions as there is obviously an increased risk of transmission in these residential-type exposures that are a consequence of those activities.”

Anyone who thinks there is 100% compliance anywhere in the whole wide world has rocks in their head.

'Reportable' compliance of course is an ENTIRELY different proposition . Any people who believe in reportable compliance also have rocks in their head.

 

[Flying mermaid]

There was a lot of commentary here about ACT residents being 100% compliant with self iso rules when complaining about NSW border closure, but News.com.au are reporting today that :

Two men have been fined by ACT Police after it was discovered they weren’t at home while they were supposed to be in quarantine over the weekend.
Police checked on one man about 1.45pm on Saturday and found he wasn’t at his home. The man, who was supposed to be in quarantine, later arrived back at his house while police were there and was fined $1000.
Police conducted another check on a man who hadn’t responded to an ACT Health quarantine survey questionnaire for two days.
When police went to the man’s home about 7.30pm on Saturday night, he wasn’t home, ACT Police said.
When he later arrived home, police allege he “did not cooperatively provide details about why he had left quarantine”. He was also fined $1000.

First two people in 2 months of checking. Still doesn’t excuse a snap and last minute decision to cancel permits or 5 days to sort it out, apparently Gladys initially refused to accept the people were anything other than holiday makers and not doctors or people who had gone to relatives death beds....

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2020

Anyone who thinks there is 100% compliance anywhere in the whole wide world has rocks in their head.

'Reportable' compliance of course is an ENTIRELY different proposition . Any people who believe in reportable compliance also have rocks in their head.

Guess ACT police have rocks in their head as until these two cases they were reporting 100% compliance,

 

[jakeseven7]

Guess ACT police have rocks in their head as until these two cases they were reporting 100% compliance,

Exactly and not them alone, human behavior everywhere has demonstrated some people simply will not follow instructions, regardless of consequence. Sadly, but has to be expected.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Exactly and not them alone, human behavior everywhere has demonstrated some people simply will not follow instructions, regardless of consequence. Sadly, but has to be expected.

I think that is true unfortunately - quite possibly going out to get drugs - Mr FM was talking to someone in the police who said most of the infringements we are getting seem related to people trying to get drugs into the ACT.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Is it hard to get tested in Sydney (specifically W and SW Sydney?)??

Or is it the demographic in W and SW Sydney that are reluctant to come forward?

---------

NSW records seven new cases, community transmission increases as testing rates plunge

NSW has recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday – six locally-acquired and one in hotel quarantine, with just 10,000 tests conducted.

...

As the day unfolded: Victoria records 282 new COVID-19 cases as state of emergency extended; Gladys Berejiklian apologises for Ruby Princess errors as Australian death toll jumps to 421

Victoria reported 279 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, as its state of emergency was extended.

www.smh.com.au

On NSW total community transmission.....




View attachment 225525

Details of the six local cases

Of the seven new cases reported to 8pm last night:

• six were locally acquired
• one is a traveller in hotel quarantine.

Three locally acquired cases are close contacts of case linked to Chopstix Asian Cuisine at Smithfield RSL. Two are close contacts of a case linked to the Our Lady of Mercy College, whose source is still under investigation.

One case attended Sydney Girls High school at Surry Hills while infectious on 6, 7, 10 and 11 August. The school is closed for cleaning and will reopen on Tuesday, 18 August. Contact tracing is under way.

Another case worked at Parramatta Local Court. The person last attended Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday, 12 August, and the positive result was received on Saturday, 15 August. As a precaution, cleaning of the courthouse took place on Sunday, 16 August. All close contacts have been identified and are being contacted.

Total community transmission (unknown source) since before Crossroads is 18 today plus 1 under investigation. 10 in the past 14 days, and thus 8 are older than 14 days.

Still no explosion at Dooley’s (Phase 2 venue), but Chopstix (Phase 1 and still not upgraded to Phase 2) which also had 2 employees diagnosed positive later than Dooleys has now 3 more cases.

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH.com.au reporting:

Almost entire second wave in Victoria linked to returning travellers
By Michael Fowler

Genomic sequencing shows more than 99 per cent of Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus can be linked to returned travellers in hotel quarantine, the inquiry into Victoria’s hotel quarantine program has heard. Professor Ben Howden, head of the Doherty Institute’s genomic sequencing unit, is now giving evidence at the inquiry into Victoria’s hotel quarantine program.

Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has previously said their genomic sequencing showed most, if not all, of Victoria’s second wave of coronavirus, could be linked to hotel quarantine leaks, though the government has refused to release the sequencing report.

Interestingly, Professor Howden said the genetic signature of COVID-19 has the equivalent of 30,000 letters in a row. Genomic sequencing attempts to identify those letters and put them in order. Experts can then compare the different signatures - or strains of the virus - to see if they are the same.

In the case of hotel quarantine, experts can compare the genetic signature of COVID-19 in a security guard to the genetic signature in another person in Melbourne weeks later. If they are the same, that indicates the other person's virus can be linked to the security guard, indirectly or directly.

Explaining the genomic sequencing provided to the Victorian government, Professor Howden said from the start of June, three strains of COVID-19 have been detected, each imported from overseas. That indicates coronavirus was leaked into Victoria from at least three breaches from quarantine hotels, via security guards and workers

“What I could say, a high-level statement would be, that over 99 per cent of all current cases in Victoria for which we have genome sequences are derived from [those three sequences],” Professor Howden said.

“Such that essentially all current cases, bar a few, are from those [three sequences]." Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and Premier Daniel Andrews have previously said “at least a significant portion” of Victoria’s second wave is due to hotel quarantine breaches.

Professor Howden, head of genomic sequencing at the Doherty Insitute, said his unit had analysed 46 per cent of Victoria’s total cases up to July 23. He confirmed their data showed the strains of COVID-19 from Victoria’s first wave had died out by late May and early June, when the second wave began to spread.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Never thought I'd see Austrlaian media go down this road - but some thought provoking thoughts indeed:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=325435738867010

 

[dajop]

Professor Howden, head of genomic sequencing at the Doherty Insitute, said his unit had analysed 46 per cent of Victoria’s total cases up to July 23. He confirmed their data showed the strains of COVID-19 from Victoria’s first wave had died out by late May and early June, when the second wave began to spread.

The question I have, is this second wave more virulent than the first wave? The first wave, despite numerous comparable quarantine breaches (i.e. when people who were supposed to be self isolating after returning from overseas, were not) did seem to substantially die out, yet this strains seems to have spread like wildfire. I guess there are many social factors as well as the virus itself, it the guards could have been super-spreaders (unlike previous breachees), the environmental conditions meant more people inside (i.e. b@#dy freezing outside) and therefore it spread more easily, different demographics involved (i.e. people relying on going to work to survive vs. travellers returning from overseas who may not have been more economically advantaged), people suffering restriction fatigue etc.

I recall reading though inn the US the first wave of spread on the east coast was from a European strain, more virulent than the Asian strain that caused most of the initial cases on the west coast.

 

[Lynda2475]

SMH.com.au reportsthe follwong NSW fines issued over the weekend, there are Victorians crossing illegally (or going out to play pokies instead in breach of their permit terms) and disgusting behaviour to cough on anyone (hope that guy gets some gaol time).

19 fines and two people charged over the weekend
Two people have been charged and 19 individuals and businesses fined over the weekend for violating public health orders in relation to COVID-19.

A 24-year-old man from West Wodonga in Victoria was found on the Albury-Wodonga railway bridge on Saturday afternoon, where NSW Police allege he had crossed the border into NSW illegally. He was charged with four outstanding warrants, and police said they seized a set of knuckledusters from him upon a search. He was refused bail to appear at Albury Local Court today.

On Friday afternoon, a 37-year-old man allegedly coughed at two police officers in Sydney, and will appear in Burwood Local Court next week after being granted bail.

Among the latest people handed $1000 fines for COVIDSafe breaches were a woman who booked an apartment on Hay Street in Sydney's Haymarket, which police later visited, finding about 30 people inside.

Two Victorians, one with a working permit and the other with a permit that she was entering NSW to provide care, were found drinking alcohol and playing poker machines at venues in Mulwala and Barooga, in the NSW Riverina, respectively. Each was fined $1000.

A 61-year-old man landed a light aircraft at Deniliquin Airport, also in the NSW Riverina, after flying from Victoria. He was fined and ordered to return after being found not to have a valid permit.

 

[dajop]

Never thought I'd see Austrlaian media go down this road - but some thought provoking thoughts indeed:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=325435738867010

View attachment 225579

To be fair, if Australia had as many deaths as Sweden per capita, the number would not have been 330, it would have been almost 15,000 (and same as Switzerland per capita, almost 6,000).

It's also a bit disingenous being compared to UK lockdowns, and outcome, again per capita - that would be about 15,000 deaths in Australia.

 

[Seat0B]

So Queensland Premier AP has stated this morning that the hard border with NSW and Victorian (and by extension ACT) will remain in place in until both states have zero community transmission.

Means if borders open and there is even 1 case they slam shut again - makes it impossible to plan to visit Queensland at all.

Without international tourism and 55% of the domestic tourist population locked out , cant see how their tourist industry will survive. By the time we can visit, there will be no operators left to take us out on the reef etc.

Which really means closed for the foreseeable future - it's going to be a long time until NSW and Vic have 0 community transmission cases simultaneously.

 

[Lynda2475]

The question I have, is this second wave more virulent than the first wave? The first wave, despite numerous comparable quarantine breaches (i.e. when people who were supposed to be self isolating after returning from overseas, were not) did seem to substantially die out, yet this strains seems to have spread like wildfire

The early cases in Australia were mostly directly from returning travellers suggesting some affluence so it is more likely more of these individuals were able to isolate or take sick leave, and more likely these individuals lived in residences where they could distance from other family members. Also as China was the main source of the original cases, the Australian Chinese community did some heavy lifting (in NSW at least) by wearing masks and isolating before there were mandates to do so. And the first lockdown was implemented very early after community spread started trending up, people were scared and more compliant with social distancing and staying home,

However, the second wave in Victoria (which is also the root source of the second wave in NSW) the virus escaped quarantine by infecting lowly paid workers, many from non English speaking backgrounds and parts of the world where mask usage and trust of authorities isn't common. These workers either willfully or through lack of understanding (probably a combination) did not adequately follow safety measures at work then broke gathering limit rules spreading to their families who were quite large. Some of those gathering attendees then went to work whilst knowing they were positive or avoided getting tested for fear of loss of income which then lead to spread virus at the schools and workplaces those related/close comtacts visited, until the genie was well and truly out of the bottle. Add to this the wider community had covid fatigue and weren't social distancing etc, which allowed the virus to find more cariers.

So i dont think we necessarily have evidence of it being a more contagious strain, but rather that the virus took hold in a different sector of the community and spread unchecked for a longer period before restrictions were reintroduced.

 

[Seat0B]

Which is unrealistic for most people, who have to give their employer notice of leave, even if its only a few days off. And the way AP is behaving, one would worry about her closing the border while you were in the air, landing to found you'd been refused entry.

Which is unrealistic for most people, who have to give their employer notice of leave, even if its only a few days off. And the way AP is behaving, one would worry about her closing the border while you were in the air, landing to found you'd been refused entry.

Like my sister on her way to Darwin. It really is no way to run a country.

 

[Flying mermaid]

The question I have, is this second wave more virulent than the first wave? The first wave, despite numerous comparable quarantine breaches (i.e. when people who were supposed to be self isolating after returning from overseas, were not) did seem to substantially die out, yet this strains seems to have spread like wildfire. I guess there are many social factors as well as the virus itself, it the guards could have been super-spreaders (unlike previous breachees), the environmental conditions meant more people inside (i.e. b@#dy freezing outside) and therefore it spread more easily, different demographics involved (i.e. people relying on going to work to survive vs. travellers returning from overseas who may not have been more economically advantaged), people suffering restriction fatigue etc.

I recall reading though inn the US the first wave of spread on the east coast was from a European strain, more virulent than the Asian strain that caused most of the initial cases on the west coast.

From what I have been told by my Doctor daughter the first wave in Australia was the Asian one and the second what she calls the American one. Apparently it is not more deadly but does spread much more easily.

 

[TomVexille]

So Queensland Premier AP has stated this morning that the hard border with NSW and Victorian (and by extension ACT) will remain in place in until both states have zero community transmission.

Means if borders open and there is even 1 case they slam shut again - makes it impossible to plan to visit Queensland at all.

Without international tourism and 55% of the domestic tourist population locked out , cant see how their tourist industry will survive. By the time we can visit, there will be no operators left to take us out on the reef etc.

Define "Community Transmission". If that's zero cases of an unknown source. It may be possible.

On an unrelated note, had a COVID test today because we have a builder who is insisting on it before we come to site.

 

[Lynda2475]

Which really means closed for the foreseeable future - it's going to be a long time until NSW and Vic have 0 community transmission cases simultaneously.

If NSW border to Vic remains closed, there appears to be no logical reason to tie NSW and ACT eligibility for admission to Qld to Victoria's case number. On current trends NSW should get back to zero cases well ahead of Victoria, barring some new breach.

AP appears to be deriving great joy from her closed border, she calls a daily press conference to announce zero cases and no changes or restrictions, the sole purpose seems to be to remind her electorate that she is tough,

 

[Lynda2475]

Define "Community Transmission". If that's zero cases of an unknown source. It may be possible.

Im sure AP will define it differently to GB.

 

[woodborer]

Define "Community Transmission". If that's zero cases of an unknown source. It may be possible.

It's not up to anyone here to define what it means, but that is pretty much what it means.

As distinct from say Locally Transmitted (where you do know the source), or Locally Acquired.

 

[Lynda2475]

Am i the only one who thinks its crazy that SA is allowing foreign students to fly in from countries with higher rates than Aus (via Singapore) and pay to hotel quarantine but doesn't afford the same opportunity to its own residents returning from Vic?

Personally i do not think we should be making any exemptions for any international arrivals (except returning citizens) before Australians are allowed to travel domestically. If I cant go to Adelaide from Sydney, why should an Indonesian or Indian student be able to? Someone travelling from Indonesia or India has a significantly higher chance having covid than any Australian (even a Victorian) right now.

Im so sick of exemptions for sports people, celebrities and now foreign students.