Covid 19 -

[Ben73]

NSW now has two classes of citizens that have different rules. That’s a big ****ing yikes. What could go wrong.
This has nothing to do with being antivax, my wife is in the second highest priority category for a vaccine and won’t be able to be fully vaccinated until October.
This state is a ****ing jokes and that’s what you get for voting for this party.

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Extra freedoms will be given to double vaxxed individuals and families. From mid Sept, limited group gatherings will be permitted for the vaxxed. It sounds good in theory, but will be facinating to see how it is enforced. "Papers please" every time police see a group gathering?

Don’t be silly, nsw police would never say please. That’s not a part of their vocabulary. The totalitarian fans will be frothing at the mouth after hearing this news.

“Halt citizen. I demand to see your papers immediately”

[AlanD]

Needed to travel outside our 5km radius earlier this week (West Gippsland to Rowville about 70 km) so SWMBO could see her retinal surgeon (After 7 years post eye op the opthalmologist detected some retinal swelling - again - bugger!) and given the distance I expected to be stopped and asked about our activities. Did not see a single example of a check and no patrolling police cars - very surprised.

Might be that Mr Plod is too busy checking that homes that ought to be occupied actually are.

But the frequent lack of the word "Fully" in front of the word "vaccinated" when talking about 70% and 80% triggers of "more freedoms" is a bit concerning.

Especially when I feel it is unlikely that the first figure will be reached before the end of October assuming adequate supplies of vaccine. In fact anyone getting an AZ shot next week will not be fully vaccinated until the end of November if the 12 week separation between doses is followed.

I can see a lot of single shot people will be out and about once the bar chart of single doses received reach the 70% mark. At that point I expect lots of social media posts about being pinged when "I'm vaccinated so I can do what I want" occurs.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by Ben73

“Halt citizen. I demand to see your papers immediately”

“Minutku, tovarishch” per the KGB.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by AlanD

Needed to travel outside our 5km radius earlier this week (West Gippsland to Rowville about 70 km) so SWMBO could see her retinal surgeon (After 7 years post eye op the opthalmologist detected some retinal swelling - again - bugger!) and given the distance I expected to be stopped and asked about our activities. Did not see a single example of a check and no patrolling police cars - very surprised.

Might be that Mr Plod is too busy checking that homes that ought to be occupied actually are.......

This was the point I tried to make earlier, pollies can set the rules but the cops can, and often does, exercise discretion how its enforced. And in my experience its been quite lax unless you are fragrantly seen to be breaking the rules.

I do probably 3-4 return trips beyond the 5km limit a week for valid reasons, see few cops on patrol but never been randomly stopped. Likewise, quite a few colleagues at work have permits and they mentioned that they have never been randomly stopped. If you had a car load of people in the back it may be a different story.

A mate was stopped last week for speeding. He reckons he was about 8kms from home. Cops checked his license, gave him an infringement notice, but they never asked for a reason why he was beyond 5kms. He was going home after being vaxxed so he would have been ok anyway.

[zilo]

Don't get sick in western sydney anytime soon.

Just got word Westmead is about to become a dedicated Covid hospital.

Full hazmat for all staff being fitted up now.

It is going to hit the fan real soon is the word.

[Citroënbender]

An autocorrect that’s on the nose. Made me literally LOL.

Originally Posted by T3

…And in my experience its been quite lax unless you are fragrantly seen to be breaking the rules.

I’ll shortly be shopping a huge 300m outside my 5km radius. Quieter store branch with more fresh air around it.

[MrEL]

Originally Posted by zilo

Don't get sick in western sydney anytime soon.

Just got word Westmead is about to become a dedicated Covid hospital.

Full hazmat for all staff being fitted up now.

It is going to hit the fan real soon is the word.

Plenty of hospitals in Sydney.
Better off them taking one or two off-line and making them dedicated Covid hospitals instead of having covid wards in each different hospital and there beings leaks etc.
It's Blacktown hospital that's having tents etc being setup out the front.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

An autocorrect that’s on the nose. Made me literally LOL.







I’ll shortly be shopping a huge 300m outside my 5km radius. Quieter store branch with more fresh air around it.

Lol eating and typing. Eating more important.

[JasonACT]

[JasonACT]

The r key is right next to the l key when your right hand has food in it!

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

“Minutku, tovarishch” per the KGB.

Australian Federal Police...." now give me all ya drugs "



Cheers Billy

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Victoria bringing in doctors and nurses from overseas now.

Hope none are relatives of Jayant Patel.........

[naddis01]

Quick question. Construction is considered essential so can a potential new client meet with a potential builder on site on the vacant block under the current restrictions? The client owns the block in regional NSW and obviously no one lives there currently. Is it possible to meet with social distancing and masks, meeting out in the open?

The NSW Government website isn't clear on meetings between builders and clients. It just says building can continue with the listed restrictions.

[Citroënbender]

Prelims are construction work IMO.

Masks and distances apply, I’d try to keep it focused so no arriving with a coffee or anything like that.

[DJR-351]

Mad Dog getting his nose outa joint with Qantas.....

Qantas could move direct flights to London from Perth to Darwin but WA Premier says its 'outrageous'

https://www.9news.com.au/national/qa...-darwin_260821

Western Australia's Premier has labelled a suggestion to move its non-stop Perth to London flights to Darwin as "outrageous".

Qantas says it is considering relocating the flights once international borders reopen due to WA's hardline border policy.

But Mark McGowan has criticised the potential change, arguing a terminal at Perth Airport had been upgraded to secure the flights at a cost of $15 million.

Qantas expects its direct flights from Australia to the UK to be in high demand once international travel is allowed.

The flight time from Perth to London, or Darwin to London, is comparable and that route is now being looked at.

"The airline is investigating using Darwin as a transit point, which has been Qantas' main entry for repatriation flights, as an alternative – or in addition – to its existing Perth hub given conservative border policies in Western Australia," Qantas said in a statement.

But Mr McGowan said his state was being "punished" for its tough stance in keeping COVID-19 out.

"All of the income we produce ... the revenue we produce for the Commonwealth government is keeping Australia alive, we shouldn't be punished for that," Mr McGowan said yesterday.

"All I'd say to Qantas ... as a state, we funded the Perth-London flights.

"We put in place $15 million worth of improvement at the terminal. [Qantas] need to show some understanding and perhaps some gratitude to what the state government has done."

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the carrier was ready to launch international flights once vaccination rates in Australia reach 80 per cent, due to happen in December.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Mad Dog getting his nose outa joint with Qantas.....

Qantas could move direct flights to London from Perth to Darwin but WA Premier says its 'outrageous'

https://www.9news.com.au/national/qa...-darwin_260821

So what is he saying

Qantas has to use Perth, but you can't because we won't let you in???

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Another 79 cases for Vic today.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Mad Dog getting his nose outa joint with Qantas.....

Qantas could move direct flights to London from Perth to Darwin but WA Premier says its 'outrageous'

https://www.9news.com.au/national/qa...-darwin_260821

Just wants something to complain about, they don't own the Airport.

[slowsnake]

Why not use Perth for departures, so we send nice clean virus free passengers to London, and on the return all flights to Darwin where they unload the UK virus and its Delta variant in the NT, perfect idea


Cheers Billy

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Just wants something to complain about, they don't own the Airport.

His paranoia is starting to glow brightly....

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by cs123

So what is he saying

Qantas has to use Perth, but you can't because we won't let you in???

Lol....a WA lady friend just said he's only upset because he will miss out on plane loads of people he can lock up in Quarantine for 14 days and collect $$$.

She didn't say it so politely though

[Citroënbender]

When are WA digging the moat? Or building the wall? It will be like Berlin, full of vitality right up to the barrier one side - and then a militarised wasteland across the way.

I totally get pragmatic concern and a desire to balance reactions in the face of conflicting models - but it’s another level to encourage shapeless fear, or to see disease as a cash cow.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by tweeked

You are in the wrong business Russ, can you send this to the Doherty Institute? I think they need a hand!!

Well, let's see who's modelling is better, Russ's or the University of Sydney's :

The worst is yet to come': NSW could hit 6,000 cases a day by October, study finds
New research shows that under the current settings, daily COVID-19 case numbers will continue to climb and could peak between 1,500 and 6,000 a day by early October.

The University of Sydney has used complex modelling to forecast the trajectory of the latest outbreak, factoring in the high infectiousness of the Delta variant, current lockdown settings and the progress of the vaccine rollout.

Using data available up until August 25, it found that if restrictions were fully lifted when 80 per cent of adults were vaccinated, infections could surge to 40,000 cases a day.

The modelling showed that in the following month, half a million people could become infected with the virus, even with continued testing, tracing, isolation, quarantine and international travel restrictions.

The stark figure supports the NSW Premier and Chief Health Officer's decision to keep some restrictions in place even after the 80 per cent vaccination threshold is reached.

While Gladys Berejiklian hasn't outlined exactly which restrictions will stay, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant earlier this week flagged that mask wearing might remain "for years" to battle COVID-19.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

When are WA digging the moat?

[russellw]

Originally Posted by Ben73

NSW now has two classes of citizens that have different rules. This has nothing to do with being antivax, my wife is in the second highest priority category for a vaccine and won’t be able to be fully vaccinated until October.

I see this as being the bigger issue. Until very recently those being given AZ were quite rightly given a 12 week gap between doses as per the WHO recommendations so for many it will be October / November before they complete that window and that's no fault of their own.

I know ATAGI has said that those waiting periods can be reduced to 4-8 weeks in areas where there are outbreaks (like Western Sydney) as they, or their political masters, have decided that the drop in efficacy is better than not having the second dose.

Frankly, I don't agree with their logic. The data used in the media release by ATAGI which is only based on the earlier Alpha strain shows that efficacy for AZ, which is already lower than Pfizer, drops significantly the earlier the 2nd dose is administered.

I've added the @ 1st dose and 2 weeks after the 12 week dose figures to the chart which is below:



.. and on that basis, I'm doing my full 12 week wait thanks.

[russellw]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

Well, let's see who's modelling is better, Russ's or the University of Sydney's :

The worst is yet to come': NSW could hit 6,000 cases a day by October, study finds
New research shows that under the current settings, daily COVID-19 case numbers will continue to climb and could peak between 1,500 and 6,000 a day by early October.

I certainly wouldn't suggest that I can do better than either of those organisation as they have more resources than I do and smarter people. What I can reiterate is that there are simply TOO MANY VARIABLES for even reasonably accurate modelling beyond the next 10 days.

I can extend my model out to early October based on the current growth rates and that shows 6k cases / day at the end of that period and 2k cases being passed on Day 61 (today is day 50); 3,000 on Day 68 etc. etc. but it's really nonsense because it could be much worse if we see a case explosion like the UK/Florida/Israel had after easing restrictions or much better if we start to get a grip on it.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by DJR-351

Lol....a WA lady friend just said he's only upset because he will miss out on plane loads of people he can lock up in Quarantine for 14 days and collect $$$.

She didn't say it so politely though

Got this online WA TODAY website dated 31st May 2021, too long to upload.Below is my wording.


I was of the impression that private security companies do all the quarantine arrangements, Healthcare Australia is a private logistics company being used in NSW and Victoria at present, same mob is going to run it in Perth too.


Cheers Billy

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by russellw

I certainly wouldn't suggest that I can do better than either of those organisation as they have more resources than I do and smarter people. What I can reiterate is that there are simply TOO MANY VARIABLES for even reasonably accurate modelling beyond the next 10 days.

I can extend my model out to early October based on the current growth rates and that shows 6k cases / day at the end of that period and 2k cases being passed on Day 61 (today is day 50); 3,000 on Day 68 etc. etc. but it's really nonsense because it could be much worse if we see a case explosion like the UK/Florida/Israel had after easing restrictions or much better if we start to get a grip on it.

Don't underestimate yourself mate, I check your stats and graphs twice a day here, they are the equivalent or better than anything on the TV or in newspapers!
Don't sell yourself short, what you do is excellent and time consuming


Cheers Billy.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by russellw

.. and on that basis, I'm doing my full 12 week wait thanks.

I asked if it could wait longer than twelve weeks (which your attached chart supports), that was just before vaccination became much more accessible and I felt it was more important others got a first dose - the GP didn’t feel inclined to take that route.

[tweeked]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Victoria bringing in doctors and nurses from overseas now.

This has got me worried. Vic only has 36 people in hospital for Covid, but the current way they "furlough" has us already having issues. What are they doing compared to every other 1st world system?

How in the world will the Vic system work when we have 20 times more people in hospital?

Also - where are we getting the medical professionals from? Other countries bar New Zealand all have significantly more cases in hospital than that - how can they spare staff?