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.

It was poor planning from Aus, along with mainly backing AZ.

I think it was sold as we are in such a good position we don’t need to rush the vaccine and can learn from other countries.

What we learned was that AZ was causing clots in a very small amount of people so we would have to change our strategy for AZ to the majority of the population to AZ for over 60s only.

I’m not sure why they didn’t take the opportunity to train people up to vaccinate people or build the infrastructure. They also needed a decent campaign to encourage vaccination

It wasn't poor planning. It's the fault of countries like the UK. The UK is a major exporter of Delta. Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia understandably didn't expect other places to opt for a let the bodies pile up and and get disabled approach (and therefore allow dangerous mutations to develop).

Of course it won't happen - but Australia and New Zealand don't actually need to open up. A vocal minority won't like it, if they stayed shut, but the majority (more than 50%) would be quite content to stay shut. There's no actual need. The economies are doing well with shut borders. I know they won't stay shut but they could do what the majority of the populations wanted if they chose to. It's ridiculous the way people talk about them having to open borders. It's a choice, not something unavoidable.

Bowing to emotive pressure by media and those with a vested interest and an agenda was the mistake in NSW. For example, remember when Australia temporarily banned entry from India, when Delta first became known? They were called all sorts, people went on about how nasty etc. Yet the alternative, as can be seen, is even nastier.

And people talking about UK having immunity.

That is absolutely unknown at the moment. Vaccines are less effective already against Delta (although still good). And we do know that people can catch Covid more than once. Particularly with new strains.

So the UK isn't in a better position. Not really. Remember too that it's not just about death. We don't know if vaccines prevent Long Covid. I suspect not (unless and until majority population vaccinated and therefore little transmission), since they don't necessarily prevent mild infections.

I think the problem with AZ was concerns about potential lower efficacy. I stress potential. It takes longer to build up protection so could end up giving strong protection. But it takes time (and so is best used in conjunction with containment measures until majority population vaccinated).

Biden is right. Especially now with Delta (and the potential for even more dangerous, more vaccine resistant strains). The world needs a temporary vaccine patent waiver.

@GirlAloud I can't answer for New Zealand but here in Australia we also have a dangerously incompetent Prime Minister at the worst possibly time.

Having state governments who have the powers to close borders and direct and enforce quarantine is the only reason we were not in the same position as you.

The Federal government is in charge of the vaccine rollout and it's been incompetent.

Scott Morrison is possibly the worst Prime Minister we've ever had. He's a Pentecostal Christian who doesn't believe in climate change.

He fucked off overseas on holiday while we had the worst bushfires in history. Said ' I don't hold a hose' when challenged.

Covid was his chance for redemption. He was telling people to go and enjoy the football as everyone else was starting to realise what the pandemic means.

Hiding behind the states have saved his arse up to now but as things in NSW get worse he's showing again that he's next to useless.

He did a photo call with army generals yesterday in relation to the vaccine.

I'd almost prefer Boris.

I couldn't agree more re ScoMo, I can't believe the way Australia normally goes through PM's that he's managed to stick around so long, he's an absolute liability, I really hope that next election he's out. I'm not a fan of the Liberals, but why they got rid of Turnbull for him I will never understand.

I'm in WA and we've been really lucky in our state, our premier has been really effective, although I do think more effort could have been spent in last year on fixing up some of the issues in our health care system, ambulance ramping is way too high, if we do get hit in the future it will be nasty from that perspective.

He's a Pentecostal Christian who doesn't believe in climate change.

Climate change won't ever be tackled. If the world won't stop mass flights during a pandemic, we're not going to stop climate change.

I'd almost prefer Boris.
He can't be worse. As bad, maybe so.

For UK people wanting to understand how things run here, country is a vast island and it is divided into 6 states and two territories. Normally our Federal (National) Government overrules the State Govts. However, it was written in our constitution that each State/territory had the ability to close their borders during a time of pandemic and each State/Territory would run independently (as though a separate country) - not allowing freedom of movement, etc if each State’s Health Minister declared a State of Emergency.
BLOODY GOOD THING TOO. Our PM is a Happy, Clappy Trump apologist, who has sold most of our Pfizer stock to other countries for a profit. (We were part of the development of the vaccine, and we make money from it. This is why we haven’t had enough to go around, and our vaccine rollout has been voted the worst in the developed world.) His government is totally corrupt and he would throw his own grandmother under a bus to help out his mates or make a profit. He is evil.

Another thing that UK people don’t tend to think about because it’s definitely under-reported in the press is that we have an indigenous population here that has already got an exponentially high immunocompromised demographic. If we “let it rip” through these communities, it would be utterly, utterly catastrophic. We have a duty of care to protect all vulnerable members of society here.

To be fair, re the vaccinations, significant proportions of the population have had one dose. We also have big increases in Pfizer delivery due in August and Sept/ October. It's been slow, but we never had the urgency the UK did.

Also Murdochracy press seems to be very antivax too for some reason

The vaccine issue is really a mixture of things coming together.

1. Banking on the AZ vaccine as we could make it here, and then finding out about the clots. As we had so few cases, people (understandably) thought “I don’t need to take the risk, I’ll wait for Pfizer”.
2. Signing up for loads of Pfizer and then the Euro region refusing to send it to us. We kind of said “fair enough” as Europe was in such a dire situation then.
3. A weird feeling that we didn’t need to rush vaccination as we didn’t have many cases - honestly I believe this to be a huge mistake and I said so on a large forum (over here) back in January and was absolutely shouted down.
4. A lot of people who actually don’t travel much (unlike the U.K.) and so not feeling that there is the rush to get vaccinated as everyday life is fine.
5. Donating quite a lot of vaccines to regions in trouble such as Fiji and PNG (I’m sure this only had a small effect though).

Now the vaccinations have started I believe it’s running well. My 42 year old husband had his yesterday at a large hub in Sydney and said it was very efficient and quick. Mine (age 43) is tomorrow. I booked about 4 weeks ago.

Just announced another 38, highest daily rate in the current outbreak. 11 were in the community while infectious.

@LovelaceBiggWither

Gladys is a cowbag who didn't shut down in time on principle. She's bleated on that NSW will never go into lockdown on her watch. She was forced to order NSW into lockdown when the numbers got too high even for her. Lockdown and circuit breakers have worked in other states because our premiers call for them very early on. We had a 3 day lockdown last week here in Q with an extension of a couple days for the city of Brisbane. It worked, the delta variant has not taken hold here as yet.

Unfortunately the vaccination debacle is not a state issue, it's a federal issue and Scummo has fucked that duck well and truly. I'm just hoping that the grassroots fury at this mess sees him dumped at the next election.

Absolutely agree with this!

@IndigoC

Gladys seems to be the only sane leader in Oz IMO.

New Zealand recently released a report from their scientists that concluded with Delta they’d need 97% of the population to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Something that’s basically impossible.

Hard decisions lie ahead for the zero Covid nations. And eventually Delta, or the next even more contagious variant, will take it out of their hands.

She's the most corrupt and under the thumb from Scummo

Now the vaccinations have started I believe it’s running well. My 42 year old husband had his yesterday at a large hub in Sydney and said it was very efficient and quick. Mine (age 43) is tomorrow. I booked about 4 weeks ago.

Two of my family members (early 40s) in SA are Pfizer double jabbed.

Israel has about to expire Pfizer going spare. A deal to send it to the UK fell through. Perhaps Australia should try to take them?

@Tealightsandd Israel has about to expire Pfizer going spare. A deal to send it to the UK fell through. Perhaps Australia should try to take them?

I’m sure I read somewhere those doses are going to Indonesia as they are being hammered with COVID.

Really? That's a shame for Australia but I'm glad they're not going to waste.

I'd say Australia, particularly NSW, is at a crossroads right now. There is a choice. It's not impossible to contain. What happens next is down to choice.

@Tealightsandd I was saying it was poor planning that meant the vaccine program has been slow to take off.( not about different variants starting to spread)
The should have had everything set to go for when the vaccines were approved for use here. They didn’t. They also should have ran a decent campaign encouraging people to take the vaccine.
I’ve read that some Vaccines are being allowed to expire because GPs can’t swap stock with the vaccine hubs.
South Australia has been allowing over 40s to be vaccinated for around 3-4 weeks now my husband has finally been able to book for his 2 Pfizer.
I’m under 40 so don’t anticipate being able to get Pfizer until September/October

@TheKeatingFive

The best thing any country can be doing right now is getting vaccines in arms as fast as humanly possible. Then the inevitable rip isn't so problematic.

In the UK here. Those who are seeing the vaccine as a solution to allowing the virus to rip might be disappointed.

I don’t know what the answer is to beating this virus but I know that my mum (almost 70 and double vaccinated) tested positive for covid yesterday and is not at all well with it.

More and more I’m hearing of fully vaccinated people still catching the virus so even though it offers some protection and I am absolutely pro vaccine, I’m not convinced it will be enough

I'm in NSW , under 40 and was sent a link to book so I'll be getting Pfizer in august. I answered the questions honestly and was still able to book. I'm technically vulnerable (flu hospitalises me) as agreed by my gp who has provided a letter. I will have to drive an hour each way because nothing closer.
DH (over 40) is due his second and went through lots of links to find an available slot and was happy to travel a bit further to get it done. Our local ones (walking distance) are fully booked for all available slots, mostly because this area also services a large hospital so lots of healthcare workers are booked in here.

I think a lot of people could be more proactive in getting there shots booked.
Watching how things have unfolded over in the uk definitely made us more proactive in booking our shots. Not just in terms of actually getting covid but the wider ramifications- school closures, impact on working mothers trying to homeschool as a result, schools not able to open because of teachers off sick or isolating.
I agree that 2022 will probably be bumpy road as more variants pop up and we look at open wing etc.

Opening... not open wing🙄

My brother lives in WA. There seems to be no impetus to get the vaccine and ultimately that is going to cause problems.

I live in WA and there absolutely is impetus, there's just no supply at the moment. We're a resource heavy state, and the oil and gas and mining companies will almost definitely be mandating vaccination before you can go to sites which will significantly impact take up. My company has already banned any international business travel without a vaccine, and HSE are looking at what can be done about domestic travel and site travel.

Gladys is a cowbag who didn't shut down in time on principle. She's bleated on that NSW will never go into lockdown on her watch

OMG - I really feel for you guys. After all...... every other world leader got things absolutely right

@PotassiumChloride

Why does this virus “rip” as opposed to “spread rapidly”?

I would love to know the answer to this!! Covid constantly seems to be ripping here, there and everywhere. Nothing else rips quite like it!