Australia. Please Mr Prime Minister

[GADDay]

The infection rate is soaring.
The shops are chaotic.

We had a golden opportunity to shut this thing down but people just can't or won't implement social distancing.

I just went to the supermarket. Huge signs explaining social distancing - the floors marked with massive crosses. Not a single soul followed the instructions. An elderly lady was coughing up a storm and nobody batted an eyelid.

The cafes, hairdressers, nail bar were all busy.

What will it take for our PM to implement a lock down? Before it's too late.

The curve is doomed with cases doubling every 3 days.

I despair - people just don't think it can happen to them. Even now.

[Loopyloopy]

I know. I'm the kind of health professional that sits in a chair and talks to people. If we don't shut things down, I'm going to be trying to intubate people very soon.

[MaitlandGirl]

I tired leaving a gap between my trolley and the person in front of me in the queue and 2 people crammed into it. It’s like stopping distances on the motorway. No-one obeys then until there’s a pileup.

It’s awful here (NSW), our local butcher has just informed us his prices will massively increase next week as his suppliers have put their prices up. If he sticks to his usual prices he’ll be selling at a loss.

It’s almost as if no one really gets it. My MIL honestly thinks because she’s not of Chinese extraction she won’t get Covid-19! She was stunned that white people are dying from it too.

I’ve already spent over $400 on food this week and don’t have enough for the week. Not sure how I’m supposed to afford to feed the family as I can’t buy enough in any one shop, can’t buy any of the cheaper brands or larger value packs and can’t afford the petrol to keep driving to 5 different supermarkets to try and get food.

[MaitlandGirl]

That post was really garbled! People don’t seem to be getting the health risks but are still panic buying and wiping out the shops.

[StartupRepair]

It's scary isn't it? My work doesn't believe in WFH even though I could do it.

[GADDay]

Agreed - grocery prices are going up and up.

PM talking about regional lockdown. Is he not following the situation in Italy.

The amount of elderly people out and about was boggling. Don't get me started on the schools.

[bluetongue]

Also Mr Prime Minister, please have a decent package released tomorrow to help out all the newly unemployed people out there. And maybe increase Newstart while you’re at it and relax the appointments and job search requirements for now, seeing as I’m pretty sure there won’t be any new jobs for anyone to apply for.

[bluetongue]

Another thought, we might have higher wages here but we also have a very high cost of living, huge personal debt levels and less of a safety net than many European countries. This is not going to be pretty.

[janeskettle]

We have poor leadership.

Some states seem to have effective leaders; NSW, sadly, is not one of them.

There are a lot of mixed messages going out, and unlike the bushfire crisis, we don't have strong, informative figures to trust. We need the health equivalent of the fire commissioners.

When schools are open, also, it sends a signal of 'business as usual'. Closing schools, except for children in two health professional households, would send a very strong signal, imo, that things need to change fast. Apparently, they are open due to political pressure.

Idk. I am struggling to trust any politicians or official spokespeople atm. The Chief Medical Officer is the most useless spokesperson I've ever heard.

Woolies wasn't too bad for me this morning. Better than last week. Still no paper goods, flour, pasta or rice, but milk, bread, some meat, a lot of fruit and veg, frozen peas. I only left without one thing on my list (loo roll!)

Not too many people out in my suburb today either. Fewer than a normal Saturday. Still some people out for breakfast at cafes etc. Plus I know for a fact kids at the school I'm at are doing sleepovers this weekend.

I'm going to work (school) and to buy groceries, and that's it.

[Antipodeancousin]

Scotty from marketing is too scared to implement a proper lockdown because of the economic consequences.

[janeskettle]

Honestly, it's hard to think of a worse govt to have at a time of crisis.

I'd take Fizza, even, over Scotty.

[justilou1]

How do we get food when there is a 2-3 week wait for grocery deliveries? I am getting anxious about personal space in supermarkets.

[vegas888]

CNN)Most people who contract the novel coronavirus experience mild symptoms, according to data from China, where the worst of the epidemic now appears to be over.

So why didn’t we just isolate the elderly and those with underlying health problems and let the rest carry on as normal rather than cause a global economic crash and risk millions of people being
out of work.

[vegas888]

The figures for coronavirus are eye-watering. But what is not clear - because the modellers did not map this - is to what extent the deaths would have happened without coronavirus.
Given that the old and frail are the most vulnerable, would these people be dying anyway?
Every year more than 500,000 people die in England and Wales: factor in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the figure tops 600,000.
The coronavirus deaths will not be on top of this. Many would be within this "normal" number of expected deaths. In short, they would have died anyway.
It was a point conceded by Sir Patrick at a press conference on Thursday when he said there would be "some overlap" between coronavirus deaths and expected deaths - he just did not know how much of an overlap.

[janeskettle]

So why didn’t we just isolate the elderly and those with underlying health problems

Some of us with underlying health conditions have to work or we don't get paid, can't pay our rent, and end up evicted.

Other people with underlying health conditions have to go to and from hospital.

I appreciate the sentiment, and maybe even agree? I have a lung disease and would rather not be working, but it is what it is. I just think it's not possible. We're relying on the community to do the right thing and help protect us.

[janeskettle]

I am getting anxious about personal space in supermarkets

People are ignoring it. You have to be very on the ball to make sure you keep your distance from others who aren't trying to keep their distance from you.

[janeskettle]

Can fellow Aussies not go down the path of 'oh well, it's only the vulnerable and elderly, and they'd have died anyway?' Please ? Pretty please? Sugar on top?

It's hard enough being in an at risk group without people discounting your life as disposable (and like many with underlying conditions, we would not be expected to die from, say, a normal flu season, and although our conditions might shorten our lives somewhat, many of us live productive lives for decades. We're not all about to pop off in normal times!)

[AgentPrentiss]

It seems to be life as usual for literally everyone I know. The only notable thing I’ve made different is having stopped visiting a relative in the ICU. Which has caused a great upset and the rest of the family can’t understand why I’m staying away. Literally the entire family is still visiting the ICU on a daily basis.

Other than that, schools are open, all clubs and activities are open, all shops are open.

DH is tossing up his options about returning home or staying at work for his week off (FIFO). Leaning towards staying at work as we don’t want to risk not being able to get a flight back.

I don’t know a single person IRL social distancing. Even the over 70’s I know are cracking on with their active social lives.

[namechange34]

It's very frightening. My ddad is 70 with several health problems and is meant to go into work in person next week. I'm begging him to quit work with immediate effect and accept that he is probably going to retire now. I'm sending them articles and stats but dparents cant get their head around it as everything seems to be going on as usual there.

[Noodlenosefraggle]

People don’t seem to be getting the health risks but are still panic buying and wiping out the shops
Its ridiculous isn't it? Why are you cramming into the shops every day and queuing with hundreds of other people? bet supermarkets are going to be where everyone gets the virus.

[GADDay]

If Scotty & Co had shut us and the borders simultaneously, the impact would have been vastly reduced.

A Qld Health doctor arrived back in Brisbane this week. He totally ignored the self quarantine rules and went into the CBD for a meeting.

[MaitlandGirl]

I tried talking to MIL about it today and she doesn’t get it. She can’t understand why we’re concerned.

We’ve given up, there’s no talking to her. All she’s seeing is the panic buying and “I didn’t panic buy, bet you can’t share this” rubbish on FB - she won’t accept there is a serious issue at hand and that if she contracts Covid—19 she will almost certainly die.

We need effective leadership at state and federal level, someone who isn’t afraid to make unpopular decisions. The schools need closing, we need to ban interstate travel and Centrelink needs to employ enough people to get claims processed promptly (so not the current 20 weeks plus for students).

We need immediate pausing on all mortgages (commercial, residential and buy-to-let), we need stimulus payments to be paid NOW and we need the govt to commit to a decent wages package for those whose industries have now closed.

[RichTwoTurkeyFriend]

Meanwhile, he’s determined to keep the schools open but HIS children have been kept home for over a week now. Presumably they are more important than everyone else and their children.
He is truly a cunt.

[Downunderduchess]

Agree with OP regards Australia, I live in Sydney. I am trying social distancing, won’t be going anywhere this weekend. However I have to go to work via public transport, it’s difficult when so many people don’t get it, makes me furious. Government is being reactive when it should be proactive, they have had the benefit of seeing what happened overseas etc. They could’ve gotten ahead of it but didn’t.

[KonTikki]

Writing from the UK
Our Government was taking a lot of criticism for reacting too slowly. Finally got on top of it yesterday, all outside venues closed down.
But the commitment to centrally fund people out of work, upto £2500 a month is amazing.
We're going to be financially broke for decades funding it all !

[janeskettle]

but HIS children have been kept home for over a week now

Is this true?