Austalian state likely can't contain Delta, will let it rip

[starfro]

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-07/nsw-delta-variant-may-never-be-controlled/100273956

Be thankful that here most vulnerable people are double jabbed, whereas over there it's far, far fewer.

Delta cannot be contained, it's too transmissible.

To be fair Mandalay, there's a lot of UK-based posters on MN who love to put the UK down too. See: interminable threads about "British exceptionalism", "laughing stock of Europe/the world", "other countries looking on in horror", "worst infection/death rate in Europe" (even when that wasn't actually true at the time of posting), "lockdown lite", how we're too pathetic/selfish/thick to stick to lockdown rules, unlike the sainted Europeans who barricaded themselves into their houses 24/7 and never once raised a peep of complaint about it etc etc. For whatever reason I think MN attracts a disproportionate number of very insular posters who've never really interacted with anyone from outside the UK, and I guess that can warp your perception in one of two ways.

Malteser you don't see why generalizing the character of a whole nationality negatively, especially as an outsider, might rub people the wrong way? Imagine someone saying "I think there's something subservient in the Indian psyche, probably because of their history as one of our colonies" - wouldn't that sound racist to you? There's a big difference between "I noticed several people I met in country X thought Y, I wonder if it has something to do with their history of Z", and "I think people in country X are very Y because of Z", which was more how your post came across.

Did they change the age recommendation of AZ in the Uk to over 40s?

OzGirl I've never been to Australia but was recently talking to an Aussie about how they found the UK and Europe much more relaxed (which was interesting as if anything I think the stereotype here is that Aussies are really chill about everything!) Examples they gave included not being legally required to wear a bicycle helmet, the way it's quite normal to be allowed to take your drink onto the street outside a pub, and the way big events can take place (outside of covid) without the council setting up masses of metal fencing and barricades. All sounded pretty inconsequential to me if I'm honest, but I guess if there's a lot of tiny differences they might add up.

That’s interesting @psychomath - I guess people notice what’s important to themselves. Like, I actually didn’t realise that it was the law to have a cycle helmet over here but because I would just automatically wear one, the rule doesn’t really affect me.
Outdoor drinking - again, we have so many places with outdoor drinking and I’m not one for street drinking anyway so I wouldn’t have even known it was a rule.
I’ve been to lots of outdoor events with no fencing and things but probably not big outdoor concerts so again, not one I’ve noticed.
It’s interesting stuff actually.

@psychomath

To be fair Mandalay, there's a lot of UK-based posters on MN who love to put the UK down too. See: interminable threads about "British exceptionalism", "laughing stock of Europe/the world", "other countries looking on in horror", "worst infection/death rate in Europe" (even when that wasn't actually true at the time of posting), "lockdown lite", how we're too pathetic/selfish/thick to stick to lockdown rules, unlike the sainted Europeans who barricaded themselves into their houses 24/7 and never once raised a peep of complaint about it etc etc. For whatever reason I think MN attracts a disproportionate number of very insular posters who've never really interacted with anyone from outside the UK, and I guess that can warp your perception in one of two ways.

Malteser you don't see why generalizing the character of a whole nationality negatively, especially as an outsider, might rub people the wrong way? Imagine someone saying "I think there's something subservient in the Indian psyche, probably because of their history as one of our colonies" - wouldn't that sound racist to you? There's a big difference between "I noticed several people I met in country X thought Y, I wonder if it has something to do with their history of Z", and "I think people in country X are very Y because of Z", which was more how your post came across.

I agree with first para

Plus o/s comments and ‘watching in horror’ used so often.

I feel very lucky to have both passports and have lived in US too. I’m not unaware that as countries go they are attractive to many.

We get lots of comments on grey wet etc

But I doubt they’ve visited as really if that’s all you get from a popular tourist city amd beyond I’d say you’re a bit limited on seeing what’s good.

I really like a lot about both countries but U.K. has had a huge amount of anti sentiment on here for over a year.

It's hard to keep up, but at the moment I believe we have:

NSW in lockdown, with cases still accelerating in their 2nd month of lockdown.

Parts of Queensland in lockdown.

Victoria back into lockdown, having just emerged from it.

Indeed, we do!

I don't know if this is free to view for overseas viewers, or if it has a five article per month limit like the rest of the paper has/had:

www.smh.com.au/coronavirus-pandemic

And this is also a good news site:

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-05/nsw-woman-becomes-australia-seventh-astrazeneca-related-death/100354032

I thought Vic were out of their lockdown now? Melbourne at least, am I wrong?

@Newbornandupwards

I thought Vic were out of their lockdown now? Melbourne at least, am I wrong?

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-05/victoria-covid-19-lockdown-restrictions-tightened/100352444

They got out for a few days, but now are going back in. ZeroCovid is going to result in semi-permanent lockdown.

None of the states or territories is going for zero-Covid, starfro
Please point me to the statements by the relevant premiers that says this is so.

In Victoria it's about identifying and managing the unlinked infections.

In NSW, it's having fucked around in the early stages with lockdowns-lite, and now in deep shit. Now it's unmanageable.

Unfortunately, the raging NSW outbreaks mean that long-term, I'm afraid Vic may be fucked. Thank you, Gladys.

@psychomath

OzGirl I've never been to Australia but was recently talking to an Aussie about how they found the UK and Europe much more relaxed (which was interesting as if anything I think the stereotype here is that Aussies are really chill about everything!) Examples they gave included not being legally required to wear a bicycle helmet, the way it's quite normal to be allowed to take your drink onto the street outside a pub, and the way big events can take place (outside of covid) without the council setting up masses of metal fencing and barricades. All sounded pretty inconsequential to me if I'm honest, but I guess if there's a lot of tiny differences they might add up.

Yes as a Brit in Aus I would say that this is due to a greater emphasis on safety here. So there is more regulation around that - you must wear a bike helmet, any roadworks requires a set of stop/go men whereas in the UK they would just put some cones up and let you drive round. People would tell me to "Have a safe Christmas" which I found a little chilling and weird 😆 at first. Things like that.

In terms of social rules it is more egalitarian and relaxed, no one calls me "Mrs X" even in doctors, banks etc, also took a little getting g used to! There are various subtle differences in culture but it's not as simple as "more/fewer rules". Different rules.

@starfro

It's hard to keep up, but at the moment I believe we have:

NSW in lockdown, with cases still accelerating in their 2nd month of lockdown.

Parts of Queensland in lockdown.

Victoria back into lockdown, having just emerged from it.

At this rate Victoria should seems to spend more time in lockdown than out of it. If I hear Dan Andrews say that Victoria is going to ‘crush the virus’ one more time I’m going to scream.

Feel really sorry for everyone in Victoria and Sydney right now

I really hope there is a plan to massively ramp up vaccinations and make them as easy and accessible to get as possible once we get more supply.

Even though I’m not locked down at the moment in Adelaide, not being able to plan anything is really starting to get exhausting. I should be on holiday right now but instead I’m having a really shitty week at work with the usual skivers off ‘sick’ and the rest of us run off our feet

Yes it's not "zero COVID" and no one heee uses that term. It's rolling lockdowns to allow contact tracers to eliminate community transmission and allow time to get vaccination to 80%. Not as catchy though

Prefer to have Dan saying we will crush it rather than Gladys saying just about anything. We all sighed this afternoon hearing we are back in lockdown but we know what to do.

Does lockdown mean school online?

For Sydney and Melbourne

Absolutely horrific news about the poor young woman who died after having her vaccine. Just unimaginable.

This may understandably increase vaccine hesitancy in Oz. It’s a hard one because I think from what I’ve read, Australia is hoping to vaccinate as a longer term strategy which needs people to have it, but equally the assessment of risk as an individual must be very different there to here if you’re young and healthy, because in Australia your chances of catching covid in the first place are very small, let alone dying from it even if you do. Whereas in the UK where covid is everywhere it’s an easier sell to get jabbed.

I guess on a population level Australia needs people to take the jabs, but on an individual level I can see why some people there might be reluctant.

This stage is also showing to me why U.K. could not have done it.

So many talking about just limiting travel but letting food delivery in by road. You’d be in continual lockdown to try to maintain any freedom, which you wouldn’t get near as a few cases coming in each week would do this ‘snap lockdown’ solution.

@SlipperyDippery

Absolutely horrific news about the poor young woman who died after having her vaccine. Just unimaginable.

This may understandably increase vaccine hesitancy in Oz. It’s a hard one because I think from what I’ve read, Australia is hoping to vaccinate as a longer term strategy which needs people to have it, but equally the assessment of risk as an individual must be very different there to here if you’re young and healthy, because in Australia your chances of catching covid in the first place are very small, let alone dying from it even if you do. Whereas in the UK where covid is everywhere it’s an easier sell to get jabbed.

I guess on a population level Australia needs people to take the jabs, but on an individual level I can see why some people there might be reluctant.

I think views on vaccination are changing here.

While in most of the country the chance of catching Covid is very low it’s dawning on everyone that output days of zero Covid are over due to the Sydney outbreak and Covid is coming one way or another.

Australia has a history of very high levels of vaccination so hopefully that translates to high levels of Covid vaccination. I think once we get the Pfizer vaccine freely available to everyone 16 and over there will be very good take up. The biggest problem has been the federal government ordering of vaccines and roll out.

@SlipperyDippery

Absolutely horrific news about the poor young woman who died after having her vaccine. Just unimaginable.

This may understandably increase vaccine hesitancy in Oz. It’s a hard one because I think from what I’ve read, Australia is hoping to vaccinate as a longer term strategy which needs people to have it, but equally the assessment of risk as an individual must be very different there to here if you’re young and healthy, because in Australia your chances of catching covid in the first place are very small, let alone dying from it even if you do. Whereas in the UK where covid is everywhere it’s an easier sell to get jabbed.

I guess on a population level Australia needs people to take the jabs, but on an individual level I can see why some people there might be reluctant.

It’s really sad. We have a family personal connection to a very sad situation which I won’t say much on out of respect to privacy. But yes it’s a hard one.

@MarshaBradyo

Does lockdown mean school online?

For Sydney and Melbourne

Not always, previously we've had looser lockdowns where schools and daycares were open. But yes, this time. SE QLD schools were shut this week too. Hopefully we'll be open again on Monday but depends what happens in next few days.

Unsure how long for in other states though. NSW more cases in other schools outside the original area I think today so that's not good news.

@MarshaBradyo

Does lockdown mean school online?

For Sydney and Melbourne

You can check it by going Covid restrictions NSW/VIC.,

Not always, previously we've had looser lockdowns where schools and daycares were open. But yes, this time. SE QLD schools were shut this week too. Hopefully we'll be open again on Monday but depends what happens in next few days.Unsure how long for in other states though. NSW more cases in other schools outside the original area I think today so that's not good news

The poster you're responding needs to get that there is no "we".

Different states/territories = different rules.

@echt

Not always, previously we've had looser lockdowns where schools and daycares were open. But yes, this time. SE QLD schools were shut this week too. Hopefully we'll be open again on Monday but depends what happens in next few days.Unsure how long for in other states though. NSW more cases in other schools outside the original area I think today so that's not good news

The poster you're responding needs to get that there is no "we".

Different states/territories = different rules.

You are so rude

I get Aus states I am Australian.

Someone can still answer for both.

Thanks Callinda for info.

Callinda not answering your post, and no blame there, argued a rather large question.