Corona Virus...I live in Australia, nobody's even talking about it much

[FortunesFave]

And we don't have a shortage of hand sanitizer or face masks...nobody seems bothered.

There have been 31 cases in Australia as far as I know...and compared to the UK's 51, that's high considering how small the population in Oz is.

I'm curious as to why nobody here is panicking....I'm not seeing posts on Facebook about it among my Aussie fb friends but I am from my UK fb friends....

With regards to Australia's toilet paper supply, they majority is made in south Australia so really the cargo ship scenario doesn't apply.
Kimberley Clarke have already ramped up production to meet demand.

I must say I never thought I'd be or hear so much discussion of TP 😆

There's a case near here that has closed a couple of schools, has been widely reported. As soon as the school was named, the local supermarket shelves were cleared of tins, loo rolls etc etc. However that was a couple of days before the panic buying spread to other areas, as my friend in Devon sent me a photo of the same supermarket shelves full to bulging. Has eased off, the shelves are fuller today as obviously everyone has stocked up now.

My Facebook is bursting with memes about the Australian toilet paper panic. People hanging rival teams footy scarfs on their toilet rolls holders, people, checking in as survivors of the toilet roll riots, people stockpiling VB instead of toilet roll. People using toilet roll as face masks or wrapping themselves in it.

I 'panic bought' some hand sanitiser this morning when I was getting anti-histamine and it was freely available and I haven't heard or seen evidence of any panic buying in real life. Just on here!

I don't get the Adelaide hate...

There’s no hate. People are just mystified that people would be happy there. We’ve all visited. I’ve had a few friends that spent a couple of years there when partners got academic roles or fellowships and all couldn’t wait to leave. It’s okay for a visit to the Barossa but to live with no end date, a lot of people find it a living death after they have explored initially. But it has a population so it must click with some.

Can I ask your opinion Aus MNers?

My mum, very healthy mid 70s has a trip planned to Perth to stay with friends, arriving early April. Then a group of them have flights and hotels booked for Sydney to go to the Opera House, it's an outdoor event on the steps.

Internal flights are booked and paid for but DM is nervous about booking the flight to Perth as so much has changed in the last few weeks so who knows what will happen between now and April.

She's wondering if there's any talk in Australia about cancelling events like the opera?

There’s another thread with pics of empty shelves in Aus

Pavlova what are they looking for exactly that they find Adelaide a 'living death' It's full of things to do! The Fringe is world renowned, we have a fantastic city...tonnes of festivals, events and the most stunning beaches. The smaller towns are beautiful, lovely independent shops and cafes...good schools...WAY more affordable than other cities.

I've lived in London (ten years) and smaller UK cities and to me, Adelaide has everything.

I mean...maybe if you're gay or want to go clubbing nightly it's not the best...not many gay venues or events I suppose...and the clubs seem limited.

I mean...maybe if you're gay or want to go clubbing nightly it's not the best...not many gay venues or events I suppose...and the clubs seem limited

Thats just it, it dont cater for 18 - 25 who like a decent nightlife.
Even dd age of 9 there is little to do that we havent already done.
Its still a very homophobic place if you scratch the surface, not just counting gay venues

Food and wine festivals all become blergh and same same, fringe is cool, will give you that but even say the royal show, the good rides pull out for our leg, not enough crowd, we get bugger all good music festivals
Been to the choc factory or rocking horse once, you dont often go back as nothing changes, like literally same as my childhood when we took dd
They killed the bay with the fun house, magic mountain just needed a revamp, not knockdown

We do have the best footy team in AFL with the Power

She's wondering if there's any talk in Australia about cancelling events like the opera?

I dont think its been ruled out, if i heard right, even AFL could be stopped if it gets bad. Now you know its bad if the cancel AFL games

But at this stage i havent heard of actual cancellations

Thanks @squeekums I'll keep an eye on the Aus news sites

Squeek doesn't your DD like the beach? I mean...that's quite sad really that you struggle to find things for a child to do. Adelaide has as much if not more for children as any UK city.

My teen is never bored either! She and her mates go skating, to the beach, shopping,cinema and laser tag as well as just hanging around one another's homes.

What I've noticed about the older kids in their twenties is that they don't go out getting pissed every weekend but seem quite sporty and active...I tell you something else, as an artist I've found more support from government here than I ever did in the UK...in terms of grants.

@FortunesFave, Nope not really, its the sand and seaweed she hates. I've never been big on beach since I almost drowned as a kid at my school swimming lessons either. We also see what dp catches near shore and I ain't swimming with them lol
Dd finds the movies too loud
To do a lot of them things, they cost money. Many dont have the spare cash drop 100 on tickets and food outings every week, then they need to get there which depending on area isn't always viable on public transport on a weekend, so need parent drop off if they not working

In our town now and the suburbs I lived, teens drank, smoked pot
I do grant we have many artistic opportunities here
Generally people who come choose to live in Adelaide love it. Born here you get bored by 25 tops lol

That sounds awkward...I do find there are a lot of council subsidised clubs and activities...drama classes for five dollars etc.

I mean, we don't have 100 to drop on ticks for this and that...but I don't find it hard work at all to find fun.

Re the people getting bored by 25....I think it's even younger really..and many move away and go travelling....but they tend to come back when they're older and realise the good quality of life on offer.

Most of DH's mates did that.

Im in UK and work in a large inner city hospital where we have had a few corona patients - not one single person I work with is panicking. We actually find it quite amusing (not corona, the hysteria)

You just say 'put another sausage on the Barbie' and get on with it there don't you?

No toilet paper to be had in my regional centre. I tried myself this morning.

@HoppingPavlova . ^People are just mystified that people would be happy there ... but to live with no end date, a lot of people find it a living death after they have explored initially

Patronizing much. I love it here. Because you don't like it, you don't know how anyone else could. I could say that same for London/the UK if I am honest.

If you find it a "living death" after "exploring initially" you couldn't have explored very hard. I have lived here 14yrs, and always finding more to see and do. Not always at a cost either.

I just spent a fabulous weekend in Adelaide including a day at Womadelaide. Superb. Meanwhile in Melbourne our supermarket shelves have been empty of to for a few days.
I'm booked to go to New York at Easter. Thinking about cancelling as it seems travel insurance will not cover coronavirus related expenses.

You should see the hysteria in the British press (or parts of it). Daily Mail reported terror as Costco douses shoppers in disinfectant . On reading the article, however, transpires a worker was cleaning the handles if shopping trolleys

2 of my Sydney friends and 1 Melbourne friend have posted pics of empty shelves in Coles and Woolies.

I’ve seen pics in the papers of empty shelves in the U.K. too but my friends seem to prefer posting pics when they see an aisle full of toilet paper, rather than empty.

I went to Tesco yesterday (northern city) and apart from empty shelves of painkillers (shortage of these for a while though) and hand sanitizer, all was normal.

That sounds awkward...I do find there are a lot of council subsidised clubs and activities...drama classes for five dollars etc.
I mean, we don't have 100 to drop on ticks for this and that...but I don't find it hard work at all to find fun.
Re the people getting bored by 25....I think it's even younger really..and many move away and go travelling....but they tend to come back when they're older and realise the good quality of life on offer.
Most of DH's mates did that.

Relying on councils round here gets no where. They didnt even wanna upgrade the basic playground for the kids in our town.

One cool thing to get the kids on, we would do much more if we didnt live 2 hours away is jupiter creek in the hills. You can find all natural crystals, proper terminated ones. Access to a metal detector will have you on gold hunt too.
We like 4x4 adventures, yet most of SA tracks are closed off, yet interstate, off ya go

Yeah i was being generous on the 25 front. Most ive known dont come back though

Patronizing much. I love it here. Because you don't like it, you don't know how anyone else could. I could say that same for London/the UK if I am honest.

Not really, given its a common thing to hear. Has been for all my 32 years
We defend our state when its other states dissing us cos its home but we also honest in our own circles about the drawbacks.

You just say 'put another sausage on the Barbie' and get on with it there don't you?
Pretty much lol
Or crack another tinnie as the lingo goes
(disclaimer, i dont drink beer, im a cocktail snob, very out of sorts here)

addicted perhaps you could ask the doctors in Italy or here in France how amusing they’re finding it. That you think there’s an over-reaction in the UK is one thing, but hundreds admitted to intensive care in a short space of time and people on ventilators in corridors is a long way from ‘quite amusing’.

@FingonTheValiant if you read what I actually wrote I didn't say I found the virus amusing, the part I find amusing is the way people are reacting. People are behaving like we are about to have a zombie apocalypse. Yes, I am fully aware of the dangers associated with Covid 19 but the scaremongering the media is creating is ridiculous.

Can't believe we are still having the F1 Grand prix in Melbourne next week. A team of 150 coming from Milan. FFS.

Can't believe we are still having the F1 Grand prix in Melbourne next week. A team of 150 coming from Milan. FFS.

With how much money flows with the F1 are you really shocked?
Im not