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!

I've just downloaded the Covid Safe app.

I don't usually take my phone when I go for a walk with DC but will start taking it now.

@janeskettle thanks - it is hard and I could sense your frustration.

@Ginandplatonic I agree - would be great to see more Australian manufacturing, less reliance on only mining and primary production. I lived in Adelaide for a couple of years and it always seemed like such a town in need of a speciality - like why not make it Australia’s Silicon Valley? Good schools and universities, a well educated population who all scarper to Melbourne and Sydney for better jobs (pay). An injection of cash and a theme - medical technology, whatever.

Plus we have so many nice little towns that could become hubs for other industries instead of just retirement enclaves. The huge advantage of remote learning is that people can spread about the place and bring investment to the smaller towns and regions.

Plus I can see remote learning helping the outskirts of the bigger cities. We live in the outskirts of Sydney and when my husband works from home he normally pops to the local shops for lunch etc, heads to the gym, we often meet for a coffee.
If you have more people working throughout the city instead of all just piling onto the train every day, it would mean spreading the spending across Sydney (or wherever) and also mean so much less time wasted sitting on public transport, meaning people actually have time to do things in their local community.

I am thinking the same.

DH and I both have jobs that allow us to work from home as an when we wish to. I think a lot of people will realise that this is the case for them as well and be reluctant to go back to 9 to 5:30 in the City again.

There is just no reasons for the vast majority of people to do so. Lets mix it up a bit!

I like Adelaide the way it is.

An amazing place to live with so many beautiful areas, overlooked by so many. That's our specialty

I'm regional NSW. Would love a job I could do remotely. Feel so limited where I am. Wonder if new opportunities will come out if this?

I know a lot of scientists from Adelaide (particularly geneticists) and the Space Industry is going to boom there pretty soon I reckon. Well, I hope so because then I will push for a move when the kids are finished school here.

Go the Territories on this Covid situation!

I think we need to have a think about a competition, State with the least amount of cases per capita wins. Which means NSW is already fucked, but I am sure we can work out the details later.

I think NSW and Tassie are vying for the wooden spoon in that particular competition @LiesHumansTellThemselves. And I believe we currently have the edge. Yay us.

I wonder that Victoria is one of the only two states not to flag further opening schools yet. I think planning a post Mother’s Day announcement is sensible as if restrictions were eased for Mother’s Day everyone would congregate with family, and announcing it gives people some clarity on when they will hear.
But, reading the paper this morning of a new Vic case diagnosed at a hospital, 2 dozen quarantined and they won’t know how many contact points from before being admitted (was for something different) makes you think they can’t relax restrictions yet. That one case could be another 50-100 brewing in a regular interaction world and from there it’s out of control.
Many people are hit by this, it’s worth remembering you don’t know how anyone is affected. I’m desperately job hunting, the recruiter handling a job I’m in the process for called today, not to update me but to say he’s been made redundant effective today and these people will handle that job. He was lovely, I really hope he’s ok.

newbiefrugalgal seek.com has a new category for searching remote working jobs... would be great if that stays. Then big companies can be required to employ x% regionally...

Poor Tassie. Launceston is in my top 5 favourite places.

I wouldn't mind seeing the end of cruise ships. The amount of environmental damage they do is just shocking.

I'm happy the Vic government is being so careful. The state of emergency here goes till May 11th so will get news then after widespread testing.

True. And given that people eat and sleep on board it’s hard to imagine they contribute as much to the local economy as is sometimes claimed.

The tide was starting to turn against them (so to speak ) here (Hobart) even before this. Hard to imagine the industry coming back from this.

Now 8 days in a row in South Australia with no new cases. The Adelaide CBD and tram are definitely getting busier.

I’ve downloaded the app but I’m not happy that as a result of being rushed it apparently is nearly useless on iPhones.

I'm a Brit lurking on this thread - and very jealous of how well you Aussies have coped with Covid - whether it's the sun (Vit D), outdoor lifestyle of whatever, you've really kept on top of it.

My interest is that DS moved to Sydney for work last year. We were supposed to be visiting for a month at the moment . Currently re-arranged for Christmas, although DS doesn't think it will happen, as borders won't be opened that quickly. Although personally it's upsetting, I am full of admiration at the seeming determination of the authorities in Aus to nail this virus.

Hope everyone stays safe - and look forward to visiting when it's allowed.

@ajandjjmum

I do think our governments at all levels did a good job, and acted quickly, but to be fair we have a massive advantage over the European countries and New York which have been the hardest hit in that our population density is much much lower, which does make a huge difference in the ability to control infectious disease spread.

It's true - and I'm not slating the British Govt. It's an unprecedented situation and everyone has done their best. Inevitably mistakes will be made by all governments, and to me the important thing is to pull together and try and get through this with the least damage possible.

I, for one, won't be on a cruise ship for a long time!

Can’t say a cruise ever really appealed, but now after seeing how fast diseases spread on them... (not in fact envy). Not in a million years.

8days in SA at 0 - I can't help but have a quiet sob of relief when watching Dr spurrio and her obvious but cautious joy at each afternoon presser... I had a bit of a proper cry when they said we no longer had anyone in ICU....
I know we're not going to be covid clear for a very long time, but I'm just so pleased and impressed with her and SA healths handling of this. Got to find the bright moments amoungst the gloom. (Also means I'm closer to having a lovely dinner with my family and my kids can see their grandparents in person)

Adelaide definitely seems more relaxed these last few days. I saw 5 people at the bus stop this morning when I haven’t seen more than one person there in weeks.

I am pretty certain my kids will return to school next week but I still have reservations. They say it is too impractical to enforce distancing measures.

That’s awesome for SA. If you make it a whole incubation period with no cases that will be a bit of a milestone. 🤞🏻

• Dr Spurrier - Gah! The least I could do is get the woman's name right!

If you make it a whole incubation period with no cases that will be a bit of a milestone. 🤞🏻

The goal should be no cases that are untraced and uncontrolled, not no cases. No cases is not a sustainable outcome unless borders are shut completely, forever.

I hope SA, WA, Queensland and TAS will be open to NZ tourists soon (and vice versa). We need your tourism dollar; you need ours.

Hmmm Barossa, Queenstown or Launceston?

Fingers crossed this shitshow is mostly over by the September school holidays.

I am leaning towards Spring in Queenstown if they will have me. As someone who is likely to be OK financially after this I feel it is my civic duty to sit in the sun and drink as much wine as I can. I tend to think of New Zealand as an extension of 'us' so their economic recovery is as important to me as Australia's.

Of course there is diving on Heron, and waterfalls in Kakadu. Really, you have to wonder why any of us ever leave at all.

Fingers crossed the cold front that just moved into Sydney doesn't effect numbers too badly.

We will stay low for now as we can, I figure every less person out there is a bonus.