Australia/New Zealand New Thread

bluetongue · 03/09/2021 02:32

@Kokeshi123

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/09/pandemic-australia-still-liberal-democracy/619940/

Intrastate travel within Australia is also severely restricted. And the government of South Australia, one of the country’s six states, developed and is now testing an app as Orwellian as any in the free world to enforce its quarantine rules. People in South Australia will be forced to download an app that combines facial recognition and geolocation. The state will text them at random times, and thereafter they will have 15 minutes to take a picture of their face in the location where they are supposed to be. Should they fail, the local police department will be sent to follow up in person. “We don’t tell them how often or when, on a random basis they have to reply within 15 minutes,” Premier Steven Marshall explained. “I think every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app.”

This is... really really disturbing, honestly.

I grew up admiring (and, let's be honest, envying) Australians because as a nation, they always came across as a down-to-earth, fearless lot who had a healthy skepticism of authority while also being basically very civic/community minded.

What's gone wrong?

I’m in South Australia. I’d possibly be okay with using this app after overseas travel (if the alternative is hotel quarantine) but no way for interstate travel. We’re one country for fuck’s sake (or at least we used to be).

The problem here is voicing any disagreement with the government and public health measures ‘keeping us safe’ is likely to have you labelled a mass killer and Covid denier.

DetMcNulty · 03/09/2021 02:50

This just shows how skewed and political it's got, the fact that SA Premier is a Liberal means he's been getting no bad press, or targeted by Federal government, when to me, things seem more extreme in SA than here in WA. I still can't believe you guys have to wear masks when there's no transmission, and now this?

On the good news front, hopefully this link works, but one of the remote Kimberley communities is up to 82% vaccinated, if we can replicate this up there things will look a whole lot better for WA - www.facebook.com/ABCKimberley/posts/10159414022127156

bluetongue · 03/09/2021 03:08

[quote DetMcNulty]This just shows how skewed and political it's got, the fact that SA Premier is a Liberal means he's been getting no bad press, or targeted by Federal government, when to me, things seem more extreme in SA than here in WA. I still can't believe you guys have to wear masks when there's no transmission, and now this?

On the good news front, hopefully this link works, but one of the remote Kimberley communities is up to 82% vaccinated, if we can replicate this up there things will look a whole lot better for WA - www.facebook.com/ABCKimberley/posts/10159414022127156[/quote]
Believe me, I’m not happy about having to wear a mask here in SA at this time in the pandemic while we don’t have cases. I don’t wear one unless I have to but in small businesses and places where low paid staff are working I do because the policy isn’t their fault. I’m certainly going out and spending less money at businesses abuse I hate wearing them.

TravelDreamLife · 03/09/2021 03:27

I'm in regional Queensland. We have few restrictions, no masks, I don't fear constantly for being told to isolate or my parents or vulnerable partner dying. The only expectation is I scan a QR code when arriving at public places (which no one does anyway).

We don't enjoy it. We do it. The app thing is to allow people to quarantine at home instead of hotels. It is because stupid people floutec the rules last year which is why we had lockdowns, so we ALL pay for it. After reading what countries like the UK, US & Europe went through we deal with it.

KangarooSally · 03/09/2021 03:37

Much better than hotel quarantine, euchre is expensive and allows leaks into the community. If they'd done something like this from the start we wouldn't be in the mess we are in right now. I hope it rolls out everywhere.

KangarooSally · 03/09/2021 03:38

Which*

Wakeupin2022 · 03/09/2021 06:36

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-03/covid-19-vaccine-swap-pfizer-four-million-doses-from-uk/100431828

Mixed feelings a about this.

Glad we are helping out but other places really need it so much more.

That's a shit load amount of doses and will make a massive difference!

Wakeupin2022 · 03/09/2021 07:16

Although this is a swap and probably benefits us in a few months time.

Other countries wouldn't be in a position to give back.

podgydalmatian · 03/09/2021 07:27

I'm in SA and have no issue with the masks. Especially with the 5 Covid positive NSW truckies in the state in the past week.

My annoyance is directed at Slow-Mo and Glad-Bags.

PileOfBooks · 03/09/2021 08:11

People really aren't questioning Dan stopping parliament are they? (Last thread).

Sounds like gladys is fairly realistic about future in nsw and will get them through.

I wonder how Tasmania will fare - presumably will be fully vaccinated and can wait before opening up so best of the bunch.

Nz still seems set on elimination.

PileOfBooks · 03/09/2021 08:13

It also sounds like some disagreement between states around the 70/80 % opening plan. Hopefully with the extra UK vaccines they can get to a well vaccinated percentage and can open up 🤞. If vaccines spread faster rhan delta they will do well.

Ineedsomebody · 03/09/2021 08:24

660,000 unvaxed people between 60-69. Scomo is going to send them a letter. Not sure what good that will do, perhaps giving them a choice of vaccine would be more beneficial than rolling Pfizer out to the 12 year olds first.
🤦‍♀️

DetMcNulty · 03/09/2021 08:30

@PileOfBooks

People really aren't questioning Dan stopping parliament are they? (Last thread).

Sounds like gladys is fairly realistic about future in nsw and will get them through.

I wonder how Tasmania will fare - presumably will be fully vaccinated and can wait before opening up so best of the bunch.

Nz still seems set on elimination.

I think Tassie and WA will be last to open up fully, but with highest vaccination rates purely based on our geography. Tassie probably needs tourism more than WA does, so might be quicker, whereas WA needs resourcing to keep going, so will hold off until confident there won't be any shutdowns (unless an outbreak gets here and we can't control it). Definitely need at least another month, till after the Grand final...

flyornofly · 03/09/2021 09:33

There are also significant numbers of taswegians with kids in melbourne - they’ll want to be able to move to and from victoria over the summer holiday season

StartupRepair · 03/09/2021 09:37

Our idiot prime minister said 'well people will die but we'll be able to go to the funerals.'

sashagabadon · 03/09/2021 09:40

@Wakeupin2022

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-03/covid-19-vaccine-swap-pfizer-four-million-doses-from-uk/100431828

Mixed feelings a about this.

Glad we are helping out but other places really need it so much more.

That's a shit load amount of doses and will make a massive difference!

I'm happy with this swap agreement although get the point that excess doses should really go to Covax but then you could argue NSW in particular is in an emergency situation and the rest of Australia will follow suit into this situation eventually. We borrowed 5 million doses from India back in January when were also in dire straits. I bet Boris was delighted to offer the doses as Morrison in particular has been pretty rude about the UK , back when he naively thought Australia would somehow magically avoid the cases and deaths that the rest of the world couldn't.

It should speed up the roll out for Australia by a fair few weeks?

TheHoneyFactory · 03/09/2021 10:09

@Ineedsomebody

660,000 unvaxed people between 60-69. Scomo is going to send them a letter. Not sure what good that will do, perhaps giving them a choice of vaccine would be more beneficial than rolling Pfizer out to the 12 year olds first. 🤦‍♀️

nope over 60's have had access to a perfectly fine vax for months! let the kids 12+ access pfizer and stop pandering to pain in the ass boomers. let the kids go to school +60's want to wait it out unitl they can cherry pick vaxes - let em, but dont do it at the expense of teens and young adults (who are otherwise lining up for AZ!)

Ineedsomebody · 03/09/2021 10:20

Kids are not the ones overwhelming the hospitals. If we ever want to end rolling lockdowns, the elderly and vulnerable need to be vaccinated.
The young will still be suffering when lockdown happens but not from covid.

IndigoC · 03/09/2021 10:21

@Wakeupin2022

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-03/covid-19-vaccine-swap-pfizer-four-million-doses-from-uk/100431828

Mixed feelings a about this.

Glad we are helping out but other places really need it so much more.

That's a shit load amount of doses and will make a massive difference!

I’m okay with this. Australia is actually lagging behind some developing countries in its vaccination rate and they have an emergency situation right now. Also there’s no chunk of the population with underlying natural immunity, unlike most countries.

Obviously makes sense for the U.K. too given we are not wanting to start the booster program as quickly as planned.

sashagabadon · 03/09/2021 10:28

But Honey 60-69 are hugely more at risk from Covid than teens or those in their 20’s.
The average age for Covid deaths in the U.K. was higher than the average age of the population. People keep forgetting that the number one factor for serious illness and death is age.

I get the frustration and completely agree AZ is a good vaccine (and some studies seem t be suggesting it is a better vaccine for longevity) but if high risk older people refuse to take it then might be better for the overall public health response to use the 4 million doses from the U.K. to vaccinate the over 60’s.
Pragmatism has to come into play here rather than a “serves you right” attitude.

660,000 is quite a small number of people x 2 doses is 1,300,000 doses in total so still leaves 3,700,000 doses for other age groups.

sashagabadon · 03/09/2021 10:34

Boris was criticised here for ( privately) saying “Get Covid Live Longer” which is a crass thing to say but makes the point , it’s the elderly that are overwhelmingly most at risk and if they insist on Pfizer (and you now know you have a huge supply coming) then maybe better to just get them vaccinated.

TheHoneyFactory · 03/09/2021 10:45

you are all right of course but the hesitancy is bloody infuriating. And at the expense of kids, teens, young adults and working families.
i was all for Aus response initially, but now i feel like im living amongst deluded fools that think covid can be kept at bay forever.
(and full disclosure im not even in a lockedown state!)

Athrawes · 03/09/2021 10:49

It is impossible to get into NZ and effectively impossible to get out (because we can't return). Some form of home quarantine using a geolocator app is fine by me. It would mean my partner could get back or I could go to the UK to see sick parent.

flyornofly · 03/09/2021 10:50

Agree that pragmatism should be the order of the day. Yes 60+ Pfizer-holdouts are fools (not least because it turns out AZ may have some significant advantages over Pfizer in the end) but the Oz Gvt and media have totally cocked up the messaging and rollout so do you spend months/years trying to turn that tanker around or so you just accept defeat and let the oldies choose? I vote for the latter.

sashagabadon · 03/09/2021 10:56

@TheHoneyFactory

you are all right of course but the hesitancy is bloody infuriating. And at the expense of kids, teens, young adults and working families. i was all for Aus response initially, but now i feel like im living amongst deluded fools that think covid can be kept at bay forever. (and full disclosure im not even in a lockedown state!)

Agree it’s annoying but the fault lies with those politicians and health people that have discredited the AZ vaccine not the people themselves. And ultimately you need vaccines in arms however that happens.