Are you in Australia? Have you changed your behaviour as we have so few cases?

[Ozgirl75]

I’m in Sydney and I think we had a total of 4 new cases countrywide yesterday.

We are still at home etc but I must say I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now and I’m seeing loads more people out and about. I had my hair cut yesterday and the shopping centre was fairly normal. Roads were pleasingly quiet at 5pm though - almost the best of both worlds!

Brisbane here. We are still isolating but less stressed about it. DD went to the local IGA yesterday - first time any of the DC have been inside a shop in 5 weeks.

As expats we often joke about the Australia being "the land of rules and well compluant citizens". A bloody good thing by all accounts!

Yes and as far as I'm aware fed govt is hands off, data if needed will only be avalible to states health minister (or some similar title?). The. Ctrl alt deleted when no longer needed (maybe)
I have similar privacy concerns but I also like being able to see my friends and hang out with my parents/extended family and if gets me closer to that point - then so be it. Most people don't think twice re having a Facebook or Insta account (they willingly share huge amounts of personal data!) yet something actually useful like this - people drag out the tinfoil hats and start burning down the 5g towers.... (don't @ me! Humour!🤷🏻‍♀️😀)

Sorry for typos . Will use the app if it will help get things back to normal.

@GADDay my theory is that we are like this because generally when shit hits the fan - bushfires, floods etc it's time to listen and fall in rank. I think living in a country of constant extreme environments we create structure and order to feel a modicum of control (when really we are able to control so little). It's been helpful thus far....

Lol I've had this conversation many times with Expat husband

We’re meant to be visiting relies in Oz at Xmas from Europe.... dyou reckon Oz will let us in? It’s only for 2 weeks so quarantine would make the trip pointless.

No idea @Notdonna but I'd personally prob err on the side of No - not without quarantine or maybe some sort of immunity passport?

But honestly that's 8 months away... no one knows.

In WA, feeling less stressed about it but hope they keep the restrictions in place for a while, would be happy if the borders were kept closed till there is a vaccine

In regards to the app,
I dont keep bluetooth on, it drains battery and opens phone to hackers, i even manually turn on and off GPS.
I dont trust the government can keep it secure i mean look at myhealth
dont trust the storage of data, what is collected or how it could be used after corona, i dont believe them when they say nothing collected
Dont trust the ability to truly delete the app after corona.

There too much to question, not enough answers and if there politicians who question it and dont trust it, then why should i think its all hunky dory

Not every kid goes to a 400+ school or is in classrooms of 28+.
Exactly, we a birth to 12 and barely scratch 400. There is like 15 in DD class

SA health have proved they won't hesitate to shut areas down (ala Barossa) exactly and where i am, its 1 road in and out to our entire peninsula, we can cut off if needed

I’d download the app. What data does it have really? Not my location so my name etc and other app Id codes that have been put in the vicinity of me for 15 mins. No you can’t rely on the database to be fully secure but my water phone centrelink childcare banks gas electricity internet library bla bla bla all have more info than that really and are no more secure. I want the economy to recover, safely.

I'm in the UK and have never even visited Australia but the thing that strikes me about this thread is that you all seem so sensible about this. No fearmongering, no moaning, just a sense of 'let's get on with it'.

I’m in Melbourne and we are still being super strict. I haven’t been to a shop in over 5 weeks. The numbers are great, but we are in the time frame of seeing what happens from Easter, when lots of people were out and not social distancing. I am also very relieved that schools aren’t opening here yet.

The Easter holiday started two weeks ago today. It’s pretty clear from the numbers we aren’t seeing any uplift. I expect daniel Andrews to announce a school opening plan any day now, something similar to the nsw one.

I too opted out of myhealth for privacy concerns (as did husband and kids too.) I don't have Facebook either. I appreciate my anonymity. But like @timeisnotaline said - my library would have more info on me than this app would collect. It's thankfully not to be compulsory so when it comes out we can weigh up the pros and cons.

I'm pleased the the gov is at least attempting to develop tools and strategies so we can get on with dealing with the social and economic fallout, whilst keeping a eye on the virus risk which will loom large for a long while yet.

Keeping our borders closed is going to be our best defence. It'll allow a new normal to develop in the short term.

Personally, aside from kids going back to school and dh to work, we will stick to home. No visits to family or friends. One supermarket trip a week. We will keep abiding by what the sa gov asks of us.
I am really looking forward to the library being open again....one day

I will review the final legislation/regulations on the app before even thinking about it. As should everyone.

Given some of the sneaky terror laws they have managed to get through without most of the population paying attention I am very skeptical for how this data will be used/maintained.

It is my job as a member of the judiciary to distrust the executive. 😁 Keeps the balance.

I'm in the UK and have never even visited Australia but the thing that strikes me about this thread is that you all seem so sensible about this. No fearmongering, no moaning, just a sense of 'let's get on with it'.

There was toilet paper wars and a panic buy on booze when we were told bottle shops may close lol We consider booze an essential service though and bottle shops stayed open in the end, just with restrictionson how much you could buy at once. Was something like 2 cartons or 2 bottles of spirits or a case of wine.

We moan bout it too But I dunno, we not so post every vent online or try rally the troops with vents so to speak, we say our peace and change the subject mostly

Dd will go back to school Monday. She happy, we happy. Being rural its a small school, no local cases at all, her education is suffering being left to online and me and dp. She the type who learns at school best, plus as an only child, she hasnt seen another kid in weeks now, mental health a huge consideration

@squeekums we a birth to 12 and barely scratch 400. There is like 15 in DD class

Mine are R - 7 and 8 - 12, both have almost 800 students...

Mine are R - 7 and 8 - 12, both have almost 800 students...

If we were in city we may have waited a week, numbers don't hit anywhere close to that in any local schools, hell our town is about 1100 people total. Dd goes to school in the town over and it essentially services most of the town's round here. The School in town that we live has barely 250, R to 12 school too

Another day of 0 new cases in South Australia today.

Skeletoninatutu my library is doing a call and collect service. Maybe your local library is too? Can’t visit but at least you won’t go short of reading material.

Well, my nurse dd has just come down with sore throat/fever/fatigue; let's just hope all that 'oh, it's fine now!' hasn't translated into a COVID infection for her...

@janeskettle I hope your DD is ok. Is she at a city hospital or regional?

I think we're being a bit silly rushing this getting back to normal. The economy is screwed at this point. Saving lives is more important.

Thank you DroppedBoxxedRuth

City, non-COVID ward.

I feel so stressed. I have an immuncompromised family member who lost his job, I'm at risk due to lung disease, I work in a school and will be back in 2 weeks with no social distancing, and using public transport, and now dd isn't well...I'm scared. I'm scared all this 'things are fine now', when actually we're still being told to be very cautious, is going to translate into illness, disability and deaths down the road.

It's all so crazy at the moment

My concern is not getting, and recovering from it, but the long term damage it's doing to the body of those infected.

Herd immunity is not the way for this virus.

I'm assuming you're in NSW if you're going back to school in 2 weeks. I'm concerned by this also and have already said I'll hold off on sending dd1 back until I'm comfortable with it.

I'm concerned by the long term damage as well.

Yep, Sydney.

I'll hold off on sending dd1 back until I'm comfortable with it

I'm so thankful for parents like you, applying caution. I think the government (both state and federal) is behaving as if the data is far more certain than it is, and not acknowledging that the precautionary principle applies - if the issue is not settled (and it isn't - it can't be - we don't even have enough peer reviewed primary literature, let alone literature reviews! ) and the risks are high (sickness, hospitalization, injury, death) you err on the most cautious path forward.

I'm in Melbourne, still working from home and just going to the supermarket once a week. I'm happy to continue like this as long as we need to. My DC are past school age and I think we should keep the schools shut this term.