Australia/New Zealand New Thread

[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?

@sashagabadon

The guardian consistently gets things wrong though. It mentions “sky high” cases compared to rest of Europe but omits that we are testing a million a day, a lot more than other EU countries. My colleague who is Hungarian says hungry does almost no testing now. I work in a London hospital. I see the daily ins and outs. Our levels have remained the same for months now. In fact we are back to the same number of Covid patients we had in late July, a quarter of the number in January. No one is particularly worried, it’s very manageable. Australia will be the same too and the worrying will go away.

What are you even talking even about? How does the situation in Europe even relate to my last post?

I was referring to pp that linked a guardian article being hyperbolic as per usual

@sashagabadon

I was referring to pp that linked a guardian article being hyperbolic as per usual

Well, I do hope you're right, Sasha.

Honestly I am trying to be positive and hopefully reassure you that you will get through it and you will be ok. I’ve worked full time in a hospital throughout Covid going in every day on the tube. It’s been tough at times but most people will be absolutely fine. We are 100% over the worst here in London The fear is worse than the reality for the vast majority and age is the biggest risk factor of all.
Most of my friends and family have caught Covid and recovered fine. Some pre vaccine , some post.
Weirdly I have never caught it but I was on the AZ trial so protected throughput 2020 unknowingly and despite both my husband and my daughter catching it I never did. Stop reading the guardian is my advice as it’s very one sided and likes to promote the worse possible scenario and is consistently wrong with its opinions and predictions

I've booked a flight Sydney to London. 22nd December. Am I nuts?

How are things in New Zealand?

@Needtostopfretting I’m feeling more positive than I have for she’s. There was a big “Super Saturday” vaccination push today and 130K doses were delivered - a record breaking day.

Auckland (which has been in lockdown for 9 weeks) is now sitting at 89% first dose (that’s 12+ population) - NZ wide we’re at 82% first dose (12+). 70% general population. So if everyone follows through we’ll be looking at around 80% double dosed within a month.

I’m hoping on Monday PM will announced kids back at school next week, i.e. the 25th

Beautiful day here in Auckland - went down to the waterfront and it was packed. Didn’t feel very locked down. I think things will start changing rapidly but I suspect the hard border round Auckland will remain for a few more weeks.

Honestly I am trying to be positive and hopefully reassure you that you will get through it and you will be ok.

You cannot possibly know that, on an individual basis. It's patronising. I think there must be other threads for you to minimise people's concerns on surely, about which you are better informed than on the current state of NSW hospitals and vaccination rates in the regions, etc.

most people will be absolutely fine

What a blithe statement. Followed by a very Mary Antionette-ish:

and age is the biggest risk factor of all

This is hardly news. The assumptions inherent in that statement are mindboggling. Meanwhile,

The AMA has released new analysis giving an insight into how much the health sector is currently struggling, and the potential toll of opening up.

It has found public hospitals are already running at 100 per cent capacity, or close to it, each day and would be tipped "over the edge" by an influx of demand from COVID-19 cases.

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-15/ama-covid-public-hospital-modelling-pressure-restrictions/100540022

@sashagabadon

Honestly I am trying to be positive and hopefully reassure you that you will get through it and you will be ok. I’ve worked full time in a hospital throughout Covid going in every day on the tube. It’s been tough at times but most people will be absolutely fine. We are 100% over the worst here in London The fear is worse than the reality for the vast majority and age is the biggest risk factor of all. Most of my friends and family have caught Covid and recovered fine. Some pre vaccine , some post. Weirdly I have never caught it but I was on the AZ trial so protected throughput 2020 unknowingly and despite both my husband and my daughter catching it I never did. Stop reading the guardian is my advice as it’s very one sided and likes to promote the worse possible scenario and is consistently wrong with its opinions and predictions

I appreciate that, thank you, and I hope so. I am CEV though and immunosuppressed so I can't be certain. As for the population at whole, I do think you must not have read my earlier post re: the indigenous population. If you had, you wouldn't be so blithe.

@sashagabadon

U.K. is currently rolling out boosters to 50plus vulnerable to those 6 months post 2nd jab now. I’ve just had my third dose. I think people have to accept Covid is here to stay, it will continually circulate, it will never “be over” and the best you can do personally is get jabbed and then live your life. There’s no end date and no day when everyone can think “thank god that’s over.” When you accept that ( and Jacinda needs to give this message to the NZ public) it makes it easier ironically as you lose the “just one more push” mentality. It’s frees you to stop worrying or at least worry less. And the more you know people that have caught it, the less you will worry. Everyone will catch it at some point but the vaccines will hopefully mean you’ll feel ill for a few days but recover. My husband double jabbed caught it probably down the pub, he had a headache felt unwell but then fine.

I accepted that ages ago. Problem is I’m surrounded by people that seem to want to live in their fantasy Covid zero world forever. Including my own sister.

Do I wish Covid was never a thing? Of course! But me wanting all state borders in Australia to open sooner rather than later doesn’t make me some kind of monster that wants people to die.

@primrosee

I've booked a flight Sydney to London. 22nd December. Am I nuts?

You might be on the same plane as DS! I truly hope you're not nuts and that Christmas is all we hope for.

I think my post re boosters didn't come across correctly. I certainly don't wish any individuals to get ill or die. But I think it is a given that HCP will receive high viral loads once covid is more widespread in the community and it could be disastrous for hospitals to be having all a lot of staff all going off ill at the same time, if the outbreak occurs 12 months + after the HCPs have had their jabs. This is the problem of a leisurely rollout, the earliest are due a booster before some have had their first.

Anecdotally the people I know who got their vaccine early due to age or other factors have caught covid from their children recently, and myself and my husband who were fully jabbed late summer haven't.

www.economist.com/china/2021/10/16/how-long-can-chinas-zero-covid-policy-last

Interesting article if you have access to The Economist.

@ajandjjmum thank you, hope your son also manages to fly out to the UK 🙏🏻

I keep thinking that I might be hugging my mum in 8 weeks and start crying every time 😁

@primrosee

I've booked a flight Sydney to London. 22nd December. Am I nuts?

I haven't seen anything about the process for leaving the country being relaxed, have you? Am curious if we still need to 'apply' to leave - given that the loosening of border controls, seems to mainly relate to those coming into the country.

Did you have to do anything special/out of the ordinary when you purchased your ticket?

Am curious about some rules being relaxed but not hearing about other rules that would also logically need to be relaxed at the same time!

The outbound restrictions are being lifted from November.

@MoppaSprings

The outbound restrictions are being lifted from November.

Thanks, I had missed that part! Will go and look it up...

I appreciate that, thank you, and I hope so. I am CEV though and immunosuppressed so I can't be certain. As for the population at whole, I do think you must not have read my earlier post re: the indigenous population. If you had, you wouldn't be so blithe

My youngest son is immunosuppressed and is getting the Pfizer booster next week. For immunosuppressed people boosters were approved last week, talk to your doctor.

Australia has done an amazing job keeping the indigenous population free from Covid. I don't like Morrison but the Feds together with State governments have done the best to protect them. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, so far the indigenous risk areas population in Australia are Covid free.

@Alondra

I appreciate that, thank you, and I hope so. I am CEV though and immunosuppressed so I can't be certain. As for the population at whole, I do think you must not have read my earlier post re: the indigenous population. If you had, you wouldn't be so blithe

My youngest son is immunosuppressed and is getting the Pfizer booster next week. For immunosuppressed people boosters were approved last week, talk to your doctor.

Australia has done an amazing job keeping the indigenous population free from Covid. I don't like Morrison but the Feds together with State governments have done the best to protect them. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, so far the indigenous risk areas population in Australia are Covid free.

That's not quite the case, unfortunately. It's hit quite badly in rural areas of NSW (Dubbo, Walgett) and should it ever get to WA that will be a problem as remote communities there have a very low vaccination rate.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/oct/14/indigenous-people-infected-with-covid-delta-strain-at-twice-the-rate-of-other-australians

@chatw0o0 from 1 nov Australians from NSW can come and go as they please (overseas), no quarantine. Don't need to submit request. Just need to be vaccinated.

I bought a ticket which is prob a gamble, but I think once people start flying in and out from November, tickets for Xmas will SKYROCKET.

Thanks @primrosee, I found the press release online. Lets just hope it goes ahead!

[quote primrosee]@ajandjjmum thank you, hope your son also manages to fly out to the UK 🙏🏻

I keep thinking that I might be hugging my mum in 8 weeks and start crying every time 😁[/quote]
I only have to imagine standing at the Heathrow arrivals gate for that early morning flight, and my eyes go all watery! I haven't told DH, DD or anyone that he's booked the flight, as I will struggle to cope with my own disappointment, never mind theirs, if he doesn't make it!

Bet your Mum can't wait either.

[quote primrosee]@ajandjjmum thank you, hope your son also manages to fly out to the UK 🙏🏻

I keep thinking that I might be hugging my mum in 8 weeks and start crying every time 😁[/quote]
I hope you have a fantastic time together. I am hoping NZ will remove the compulsory MIQ early next year in time for me to see my Mum in May (or before) for her 92nd birthday. I missed her 90th and her 91st and I am just NOT going to miss her 92nd.

I have just been watching a Tony Robinson programme where he is walking in Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire and I could have cried remembering all the places I have visited over the years. It just makes me so bloody sad some days.

Thanks