Anyone else in South Australia? New lockdown - no exercise outside the house alloed

[bluetongue]

I must admit I was shocked at how strict this lockdown is. Most of it I can live with but I must admit I’m struggling that we’re not allowed to leave the house apart from grocery shopping - even for exercise or dog walking. Yes, they’ve told us it’s only for six days but it’s hard to know who to believe. I’m not sure I feel comfortable with this level of restriction.

The government is disappointed with the panic buying but what do they expect when we can now be stopped and questioned by Police any time we leave the house?

agree - hotel quarantine is obviously not compatible in cities. its obviously too risky.
i cant understand why SA gov has not requested use of woodside barracks for quarantine use - people get transferred via bus to hotels anyways, why not go a bit further and used army barracks that are removed from major populations

@AlecTrevelyan006

The world has gone mad

Indeed. It's a thousand times more scary than covid.

I agree - time to hand international border control back to the feds, and get it managed in more appropriate places - Howard Springs in the NT, Christmas Island etc. every state has a few of these places.

If Defence is so good, they can run it.

And maybe people from low-risk countries - NZ etc - could do at-home isolation or something.

NSW had it escape too. Same reason - a casual security guard working shifts elsewhere (Sydney fish market, a local court). They just got lucky and there was no transmission.

But the number of positives in quarantine is increasing as this thing gets worse around the world. Hotels in the inner city staffed by low-paid casuals who work elsewhere to top up their $$ are no longer the answer.

[quote TyrannyOfDistance]@Judashascomeintosomemoney I can't do the /100,000 figures (not smart enough!), but South Australia has a population of about 1.4 million, mostly in Adelaide.

As of today, they has 35 active virus cases. One cluster of 23 that has escaped from hotel quarantine that is causing all the angst.

"Go hard, go early" was the Premier's push today.[/quote]
Quarantine hotel. Same issue as Vic. Did they just open the state borders?

How much outdoor spread can there be, really?
Surely in the 8/9 months we've been dealing with this, we know that the risks of outdoors are negligible. It's madness to put people under house arrest like this.

@AlecTrevelyan006

The world has gone mad

Absolutely this.

Glad to see others agree with me about the quarantine issue.

I’m just angry about what we’ve lost. Everything was so close to normal here and the state economy is fragile enough at the best of times. I have no issue with the returning travellers themselves or the staff but the system doesn’t work. The premier was on radio this morning boasting how South Australia’s quarantine system had received top marks in a review (really) and even more unbelievably Nicola Spurrier (who is generally excellent) said that the hotel security guard working at the pizza shop was only obvious as a risk in hindsight.

Now I know how those in the UK feel after Boris scolds the public for case numbers rises when they can’t even get the testing system right.

Oh and apparently the RSPCA will be asking questions of the government about animal welfare issues in regards to dog walking. As a previous owner of horses I hope there are also exemptions for those that need to visit their horses to feed and care for them.

I read that the SA lockdown is so strict because there is a new strain of Covid which is taking far less time to incubate. People are infectious within 24 hours of catching the virus which has the potential to make track and trace useless.

Come dead of night dp will still be able to go for a fish, both cops would be in bed unless called in.

This made me smile. DH and I were discussing this this morning.

First of all what is the point of a blanket rule given the remoteness of some communities and secondly how on earth can they hope to emforce it?

There really does need to be a national response to the hotel quarantine situation.

There really is no reason for this to be happening in hotels in Cities.

If this is how we are going to manage it, then lets get a solid plan together.

@bluetongue just read an update from SAPOL.

People may also leave their home to:

▪️ ensure adequate supply of food, care and exercise to animals that are situated away from the home if no other person is available;

So horses/ livestock are covered.

I’m hoping they will see sense and let dogs be take for walks, and even if it’s only if no garden is available.

That’s good to read Bunnies. I remember one woman in Melbourne having to dispute a fine she got for travelling to care for a horse.

I am here and fully supportive. The no exercise was a surprise but given it is summer and how outdoorsy everyone is I don’t think distancing would be happening- it didn’t during the last lockdown that I saw and people would push their luck. This is much easier to police too.

I think Nicola explained so sensibly and clearly why this is all happening and the rate of spread along chains being too much to contact trace. A week or two is no big deal compared to the alternative. I think we may well be looking at a couple of weeks but that’s ok.

And no there won’t be riots because we have sensible decisions makers with a clear end goal in mind. If this hadn’t happened we would have had a couple of weeks of zero community transmission in the whole country and would have almost been open to NZ. We want to be back there ASAP.

I am proud of those leaders and apart from some whinging from one group of friends (until they realised that because it is Australia the bottle shop is considered essential and will remain open) everyone I speak to is really positive

We need to look at hotel quarantine. Howard springs is a great answer. Christmas Island would work too but these need to be places which are either close enough to medical care OR that can have medical care embedded into them and then you just need to pay security guards and cleaners and chefs a shit load of money to spend a couple of months there at a time followed by their own quarantine. That is the only way to be safe. I don’t think anyone should be complaining about someone having two jobs. Hard working people on low wages are going to do that to look after their family and it just reminds us we should appreciate people in service industries a little more...

I hope it doesn't go on longer than 6 days for you. That's cruelty to children and animals.

I can see why they have done it early and very restricted. Trying to avoid a drawn out Melbourne situation.

Hard though

No judgement of the guard with the second job. We all need to pay the bills. The system needs to be reviewed. Much cheaper to pay people FIFO style than keep shutting down the economy.

This is the price of not ensuring people are paid a living wage in secure employment.

Agree with previous comments on city based quarrantine. Is this because they are also trying to prop up the hotel industry?
I'm in NSW and have my fingers crossed for you all it's short, sharp and effective. to all of you!

Yes there is probably an element of propping up the hotel industry. Do you what else would help the tourism industry? The confidence to book interstate travel without having to worry about hotel quarantine outbreaks and borders shutting at short notice.

I was considering an interstate trip but now all my travel money is going to a fund that will eventually be used for a big overseas trip.

6 days seems like such an arbitrary number - what's the rationale behind that?

It seems incredibly cruel to force dogs to have to relieve themselves inside. Imagine if we were told we all had to go on the floor instead of sing the toilet!!

The police commissioner has clarified that an option might be to walk your dog to the supermarket for your allowed food shop so at least they can get out. And tbh in Adelaide there are not heaps of homes where there is zero outside space so hopefully not many pets are affected. It sounds like they will be lifting that ban pretty fast too.
I am eternally impressed by the team. I think the police commissioner was really fair in his comments about the guards and they are being so clear about their balanced decision making

@PicsInRed

6 days will be at least 14 by the time they're done. I think harsh lockdown countries without any push back from the population (i.e to moderate the degree of lockdown and ensure freedoms are eventually returned) will look pretty different at the end of this. The disproportionate impact on the poorest will probably lead to rioting.

No it won't - because hard and fast means it won't drag out. Containment. No long-term economic damage and mass bereavement (disproportionately amongst the poor) much less likely.

My family are in SA. They're very supportive of the measures. They don't want to end up like it is in the UK.

@Constance1

6 days seems like such an arbitrary number - what's the rationale behind that?

I think because this specific strain has a very short incubation period and also so that it just gives them a good few days to catch up on contact tracing. They are going to follow up with another at least 8 days of less right restrictions.

Another Melbournian here. Honestly if I was given the option of 6 days no exercise or 4 bloody months of lockdown and curfew, I'd definitely take the no exercise!

It's tough, and a good reminder that we need to continue to be vigilant against this virus in Aus, and not believe our own hype.

Good luck OP, you can do this!