Australian mumsnetters

[Wizzbangfizz]

How are you feeling right now? I've very close relatives in several states who are bemoaning the lack of testing but apart from that seem content now the majority who want to be are vaccinated that is should run it's course - how is it going - are your govt also looking to reduce isolation from 10 to 7?

@Kohby190 seriously? What do you think the rest of Australia's death count would have been if Victoria hadn't locked down?

Victoria only has 'the worst dearth count' because other cities were protected by Victorians actions.

Victoria successfully contained and repressed the virus in 2020. It was NSW that let it get away.

It's a sickening feeling to watch it completely let loose after all the sacrifices we made over the last two years. What the fuck was that for if they were always going to let it run rampant?!

Why were they a waste of time? They bought time to roll out the vaccine and develop some good drug treatments. The overall cumulative death figures from Oz are likely to compare favorably with most other countries, long term, because of this. But keeping covid out forever was never going to be realistic--you must realize this.

I'm not really letting it bother me but there are plenty of people for whom it seems to be all consuming. I guess it's a matter of your situation - my kids are both double-vaxxed as are DH and I.

What irritates me is that the worried well are clogging up testing sites, panic-buying rapid tests and getting into stupid state vs state arguments that go around in circles.

@Derelicthome

Seems I am in the minority!

You might be, Derekicthome, or you might be the silent majority.9Now time will tell.

I can’t vote here so don’t have any skin in the game but I think Scott Morrison will be re-elected in March or May.I haven’t been following state politics that closely but I think that Andrew will either be out or returned with a much smaller majority.

I’m looking forward with interest to see if I am right or wrong.

*only
And I misspelled your name, Derelict. I’m sorry but I blame bloody autocorrect.

@greenteafiend thank you for telling me what I must realise.

Obviously the virus wasn't going to be contained forever. But there is a middle ground between the extreme prolonged lockdown that Melbourne endured and completely letting it rip as it is.

They could have waited until 5-12 year olds had time to be fully vaccinated for example.

They could have cancelled massive NYE events when they saw the numbers explode after Christmas.

@Kohby190

But how did the Andrew’s government try to save lives? Victoria has the worst death rate in aus and the longest lockdown in the world, hardly something to aspire to.

The mass of deaths in Victoria were those in aged care facilities mana ged by the federal government, i.e. rock bottom standards. Blood on ScoMo's hands.

Deaths in state-managed homes, not so much.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/05/from-blame-game-to-dogs-breakfast-how-australias-aged-care-homes-were-left-open-to-covid-again

Hope this helps.

@outbackjulie

I'm not really letting it bother me but there are plenty of people for whom it seems to be all consuming. I guess it's a matter of your situation - my kids are both double-vaxxed as are DH and I.

What irritates me is that the worried well are clogging up testing sites, panic-buying rapid tests and getting into stupid state vs state arguments that go around in circles.

They are not stupid, they are essential in assessing what went wrong:

Quarantine: Nothing happening - federal responsibility
Vaccines: bloody slow - federal responsibility
RATs: price tagged slapped on = price gouging - federal responsibility
Deaths of those in Victorian aged care - massively in federal-run homes

Everything ScoMo touches turns to shit ( see Perrotet and Gladys)

I don’t understand the argument for waiting until 5 year olds are vaccinated. Surely if you follow that line of thinking we wait until newborns are eligible to be vaccinated too.

Once 5-12s are vaccinated schools will become less of a cesspit of infection.

I'm in NSW and the whole testing saga is a load of crap. I get we are moving from pandemic to letting the virus become endemic with the hight level of vaccination but for crying out loud, you don't do that without having enough testing resources because you fucking didn't plan the consequences of what you were doing.

A drive through to get a PCR means hours queuing in the car without knowing if they'll give you the test because some test sites can close when they run out of tests or the laboratory head office tells them that's the limit for the day.

Antigen tests are impossible to find considering they are bloody expensive. We don't get free tests like the UK, ohh no. We have to pay for them at $15 dollars a test and its a moot point as we can't get them anyway. So, if you have symtoms you have no idea if you have Covid because you can't have a test.

In between the arsehole in Canberra (our darling marketing PM) and the c**nt we have as Premier (Opus Day educated, anti abortion, anti female and very much pro business) we are fucked.

Feeling very much the same as you today @Alondra
I've been for my daily walk which includes stopping off at the 4 local chemists, iga, coles, we foods and Priceline. All have orders pending and no idea when they will be dispatched.
DS is back in daycare and DD starts vacation care on Monday but no tests for if (when) we need them as close contacts.
As a side note, have you seen perrotets idea to have schools finish at 1pm so it's easier for working families? I actually can't get my head around how this would work. I would need to leave part time work if this was to happen- not sure how it's supporting women in the workforce?

I'm in North Queensland. I did a drive thru test on Saturday and I'm still waiting for the results.

I understand they had a huge surge of people going to get tested but surely they expected this?! It was all part of the plan. So why haven't they planned for this?

ScoMo has just a announced there is no need for free RATs. Because other countries haven't done it.

I think this sums things up

www.betootaadvocate.com/headlines/okay-youve-made-it-clear-youre-not-paying-for-them-but-could-you-tell-us-where-the-fuck-they-are/

@StartupRepair

Once 5-12s are vaccinated schools will become less of a cesspit of infection.

Mass vaccination hasn't stopped other places being cesspits of infection. It's breaking out left, right and centre in aged care facilities. My grandmother is locked down due to a covid outbreak in her care facility, and due to her disabilities we have no way of communicating with her to check if she even has food or water (there have been homes where bedridden residents were left starving and dehydrated when staff walked out). We know that the home is running My understanding is that vaccination was mainly to suppress the worst symptoms, and had a very limited role in managing transmission. It certainly isn't stopping visitors and staff bringing it into aged care homes.

Yup vaccination isnt stopping the spread as hoped (in England. High vax rates and spreading like wildfire.) It does stop the worst of the illness and lower hospitalisation rate but still people are getting ill.

I imagine once it takes hold eventually there will be a peak where lots of people are ill like over here and then life resumes? Is that what they are hoping? It does seem crazy doing it without rapid tests though. Its everywhere here but kids are tested before returning to school and we test before seeing older family etc.

Its much better doing it with this strain though as its relatively milder.

I selfishly want to know when I can come to see family but I guess this is still just the beginning of opening up /the virus spreadin.

Half my friends have it or have had it, among us we know that it's when not if we catch it. I'm just hoping it's not too inconvenient and I'm well enough to work through it from home.

I also care about being able to get on the plane and come home to England at the end of March.

The long testing lines are ridiculous, it just means I probably wouldn't bother, who wants to stand around in 30 degree heat while sick for hours. I'd assume case numbers are double what they are reporting.

They need to make RAT tests free, if they want people to test and limit the spread, with such high vax rate there will be a good proportion of asymptomatic people walking around.

Tbh, I'm over it. I just want to get one with everything. It's not stopping me going anywhere, I do wear a mask when required but wouldn't bother if it wasn't mandatory.

I just heard from the friend I saw last night they have it today so... tick tock

Hope you are okay BeingSunny. In a way if you got it out the way now you wouldn't need to fear testing positive just before your flight (one of our fears!)

For all those it is "just like a cold for" I'm sure official numbers (there and here) musg be far higher than those tested.

@spottygymbag

Feeling very much the same as you today *@Alondra* I've been for my daily walk which includes stopping off at the 4 local chemists, iga, coles, we foods and Priceline. All have orders pending and no idea when they will be dispatched. DS is back in daycare and DD starts vacation care on Monday but no tests for if (when) we need them as close contacts. As a side note, have you seen perrotets idea to have schools finish at 1pm so it's easier for working families? I actually can't get my head around how this would work. I would need to leave part time work if this was to happen- not sure how it's supporting women in the workforce?

Where did you see that about schools finishing earlier? Hope that’s not going to happen!

@Sarahschild in the Sydney morning herald back in June. Link below

amp.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/plan-to-end-the-9am-to-3pm-school-day-in-nsw-20210617-p581w3.html

And this one from a different site
(Photo)

[quote spottygymbag]@Sarahschild in the Sydney morning herald back in June. Link below

amp.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/plan-to-end-the-9am-to-3pm-school-day-in-nsw-20210617-p581w3.html[/quote]
I taught in secondary for 16 years until the end of this term in Victoria, and I doubt the system will vary much from state to state.

The premier will make a statement, and now is way too early, but Perrotet is a colossal tit. This then translated into a statement that goes out to all government schools, via the relevant state department for education, which is then emailed to parents by the the principal. This is to ensure that made-up shite does not get out there. The wording has to be exact and identical.

Until you are emailed by the principal, nothing is happening.

Private institutions may do they please, though in Victoria, the most followed the government line.

Absolutely agree on the colossal tit part. And that's good to know, thanks.
It did seem a step too far that we'd all suddenly be grappling with 7-1 state wide but with some of these pollies you just don't know