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?

Thats great news some families can reunite.

I im hoping things improve in both countries as do many families separated.

Sorry to resurge this thread but I feel physically sick.
Anyone want to weigh in on this?
www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/two-year-jail-terms-loom-for-health-order-breaches-under-pandemic-laws-20211026-p59349.html#comments

Anyone else trying to wake up and digest the SA reopening plan?

The devil really is in the detail for this Vic legislation. This bill is dangerous.
instagram.com/stories/davidsouthwickmp/2692721702064163358?utm_medium=copy_link

Wow. That's quite scary.

(I did wonder if the thread had moved!)

[quote Kohby190]Sorry to resurge this thread but I feel physically sick.
Anyone want to weigh in on this?
www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/two-year-jail-terms-loom-for-health-order-breaches-under-pandemic-laws-20211026-p59349.html#comments[/quote]
I am confused what the problem is?

@Kingstonmumof1

Anyone else trying to wake up and digest the SA reopening plan?

Yes! I am half excited and half terrified. In health care we will be hitting the really hard times just as everyone else is getting the good bits! But I know we couldn’t live in our happy bubble forever

As in you don’t see a problem with the bill?

Do you think it’s ok that Dan Andrew’s can declare a pandemic even if there is no cases in Victoria?

Do you think it’s ok for lockdowns to go for 3 month blocks without any parliamentary input?

Do you think it’s ok to fine individuals $90,000 for not wearing a mask as one example?

Do you think it’s ok for the premier to have unprecedented powers?

Do you think it’s ok to apply pandemic laws to “classes of a person”?

If you don’t have a problem with any of the above, then I’m afraid for you and our country.

Well reasons to be positive - the vaccine rollout is going fantastically well and we're heading for incredibly high overall vaccination rates.

Over 95% of the over 70's had first one
94.6 % of over 50's
87.4 % of over 16's

By the end of the year I think we'll have more than 95% of over 16's done, plus a good proportion of over 12's. And given that a third booster shot provides a further 95% protection, and the new treatments coming up, there is lots to be thankful for.

I'm on the countdown to see a relative on Tuesday who I haven't seen for more than 2 years, I can scarcely believe that they are being allowed out of Aus. Anyone else making a break for it/having a close family member on day 1 of border reopening (for nsw and vic)? I fear that the zero covid states are still some way from this step but I'm so excited to see this family member, trying not to give the secret away to the kids, just in case the aus govt pull the rug on Monday!

Been thinking about you all and how it is going over there?

Day 75 of lockdown here in Auckland. No end in sight. We are now 80% double vaxxed but will be in lockdown with a hard border for at least another 4 weeks. I am so fucking over it.

Wow. I was aware of australia loosem some of its rules, but hadn't appreciated Auckland.

We did another 3 months earlier this year that was horrible (england) so can appreciate the period of time. BUT we had raging covid and not enough vaccinated. It must be soul crushing to have low covid and sich a high % vaccinated amd still be under lockdown :( .

Are you homeschooling/ ony going out for daily walks etc?

In my ignorance I'd relied a bit on these threads (name change) to know what it was like in Aus/NZ alongside family reports from Oz!

We are meant to be homeschooling but not much (nothing) is getting done. Luckily my eldest is 7 so not the end of the world. We both work full time and both DH and my businesses are headquartered out of Auckland so they don’t seem to realise how fucking awful it is. Luckily we have been able to send our 3 year old back to crèche 3 days a week - prior to that it was impossible.
It has also been pissing with rain for the last couple of weeks so we are literally confined to our houses.
Last week was Labour weekend - usually the long weekend that marks the start of summer. It poured with rain all weekend. I felt utterly, utterly defeated. I have previously been a life long Labour voter - I’ll never vote Labour again.

BUT (trying to be positive 🤪😂) it does look like international travel restrictions will be loosening soon, so very hopeful we’ll be able to visit family in the UK next year.

That does sound incredibly tough Gennz :( 🤞 for changes soon!

Cases will obviously rise once NZ opensnup - have they said what the plan is? Will they keep locking down? Why are they locked down now??

They say no more widespread lockdowns but we don’t know what that means. We are still locked down until 90% of the eligible (12+) population is double vaxxed. The unvaccinated are skewed heavily towards socially deprived groups including Māori and Pasifika communities and the Govt is (rightly) worried that when Covid sweeps through there will be a huge death toll. Our ICU capacity is second to lowest in the developed world.

That said Aucklanders are all getting angry at feeling held hostage by a small percentage of people who refuse to be vaccinated. At what point do you have to let people make their own choices? Why are we now 80% double vaxxed and kids aren’t at school, so many businesses can’t operate, we can’t leave the city, aren’t actually meant to visit other people indoors (not that anyone is paying attention to that any more). By the next review date of 29/11 it will have been 15 weeks.

Argh, it's a horrible situation. My friend who has elderly parents in Auckland really could do with getting up there to see them. They're not doing great. She would get an exemption to visit them but would then most probably be stuck there unable to leave until God knows when. The problem is cases are rising exponentially already even with these restrictions in place. I don't know what the answer is but I think come Christmas they will have to let Auckland loose or there will be anarchy. I am very worried about the region where I live. So far no cases we know of but we have a high Maori population and therefore a lower vaccination rate. It's going to be carnage here when it comes.

@Cousinit if your friend could get an exemption to get in then she could get home Again. You can leave the city to relocate or return to your permanent residence. She should do it - I would. If she is double vaxxed and gets a negative test before she leaves the city the risk is v v low.

Yes she is doubled vaxxed, as are her family. I will tell her that, she is so worried about them.

There is a massive issue with icu bed capacity in NZ. There are 186 staffed beds in total for the whole of NZ. I think that breaks down to 172 adult beds. This is part of the reason for needing a higher vax rate.
DB has been told prepare to maintain people on basic aneasthetic machines in operating theatres if gets that bad.
Sending much love to the kiwis- I'm a Jaffa born and bred and would desperately love to be able to come home more frequently.

It’s a beautiful day here today @spottygymbag so I’m trying to be positive. Hopefully you’ll be able to come home soon. I’m a born and bred jafa too and although I’ve lived in other places (and always liked leaving 😂) I always felt
lucky to come home to Auckland. Haven’t felt very lucky these last couple of months!

MIQ has been reduced to one week so hoping it disappears completely and I can isolate at home soon. I am determined to see my Mum for her 92nd birthday next year, missed her 90th and 91st.

I absolutely love NZ but I have so missed the UK over the last two years. Bloody Covid.